Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Mary Beth Jackson has begun the next phase of changes.
With her district-level team in place, Jackson has started to evaluate school principals to determine if they should stay in their current position or not.
While the bulk will remain where they are next fall, Jackson said the one-year contracts all principals are under have allowed her to make some changes for the 2013-14 school year.
“Some schools were struggling and they didn’t have the best leadership they could have,” Jackson said. “I just wanted the right principal in the right school … that’s all I care about.”
Jackson and her staff looked to teachers and their own observations to determine the fit of a principal with a school. If they didn’t align, changes were recommended, she said.
“Our thing is, I promised no one a job,” Jackson said.
Right now, Jackson expects two principals not to return in any capacity. The rest either will be assigned to a new school or another position in the district.
Nothing will happen until after school ends on June 6.
Jackson denied any personal sentiment in the changes, and said an interviewing committee has been used to select where each principal goes.
The committee is made up of Deputy Superintendent Kaye McKinley, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Marcus Chambers, Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Operations Nick Kootsouradis, the director of the grade level for the open position and a parent or teacher from the school in question.
That group recommends to Jackson who to hire for an open slot, and she takes it to the School Board.
“It was a very open and honest process,” McKinley said.
The district initially looked in-house to fill any openings, and only after finding no correct fits did Jackson authorize the committee to start looking around the country for qualified applicants.
Jackson and McKinley said the changes will be announced in June and transitions will take place over the summer. They began notifying principals of the changes shortly after the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests wrapped up to avoid any morale issues for teachers or students, Jackson said.
During a recent School Board meeting, Jackson recommended moving an elementary school principal to a middle school and two out-of-state principals to open spots at elementary schools.
Cheree Davis, principal at Edwins Fine & Performing Arts School, will move to Shoal River Middle School. Tammy Matz, principal at a Pennsylvania school, will take over at Riverside Elementary School and Donna Lynn Goode, a principal in Alabama, will take over at Northwood Elementary School.
At an earlier meeting, the board approved moving Shoal River Principal Paul Whiddon to Ruckel Middle School.
“We have anguished over these,” Jackson said. “I just hope and pray that we have made good decisions.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.