Eastern Wayne High principal announces retirement
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 1, 2015 3:05 AM
Wayne County Public Schools will get a chance to test out its new practice of hiring administrators, now that Eastern Wayne High School principal Gene Byrd has announced he will retire Nov. 30.
Officials rolled out the new practice last month, as part of Superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore's effort to involve others in the selection process. The superintendent and district's human resources department will still oversee the process, with interviews remaining confidential until a candidate has been hired.
But the effort will also include a panel of stakeholders, eliciting input from such sources as teachers, staff, parents and students, officials said.
The job opening for Byrd's position has already been posted online, Dunsmore said.
"The next step for our human resources department will be to seek input from school stakeholders, including staff and parents as to the type of leader they would like to see as principal.
"Their feedback will be used in determining the interview questions, which will be used by an administrative selection panel. I will interview the panel's top two or three candidates and make any recommendation to the Board of Education for hire."
Stakeholder meetings have been scheduled for this week, Ken Derksen, director of communication services for the district, said. A cross section of parents, students and staff will be invited to be part of that discussion, he said.
Byrd, a 38-year veteran in the profession, has been at Eastern Wayne since 2005.
A native of Goldsboro and graduate of Goldsboro High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in social studies and a graduate degree in school administration from East Carolina University and two advanced certificates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He began his career in education in 1977 as a high school social studies teacher in Onancock, Virginia. He has since worked at various schools in Wayne County and eastern North Carolina, as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. He previously served as principal at Southern Wayne and Spring Creek high schools.
"I have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding staff at the different schools I have served," Byrd said. "With their support I have been able to implement various programs and initiatives over the years that helped students stay focused on their education and graduation on time.
"I am especially proud of having implemented the first student Renaissance recognition program at Southern Wayne High and the first credit recovery program at Spring Creek High, which became a model for other high schools across the district."
Dunsmore expressed appreciation for the departing principal's devotion to helping students become successful, both in the classroom and in life.
"We wish him the very best in his upcoming retirement and thank him for his dedicated service and commitment to students," he said.