FROM ACPS:
NEW PRINCIPALS NAMED TO T.C. SATELLITE CAMPUS AND FRANCIS C. HAMMOND CAMPUS
Alexandria Va. — Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Morton Sherman is pleased to announce the appointment of three new principals for the 2012–13 school year. Dr. James Wilson will lead the new T.C. Satellite Campus, and two new principals, Benjamin Costa and Andrea Sparks-Brown, will join the Francis C. Hammond Middle School Campus administration.
James Wilson, a veteran principal, began his career as assistant principal and later served as principal at Francis C. Hammond (Jr. High School). Dr. Wilson also served as an executive associate principal at T.C. Williams High School (1988–1993) and led schools in Baltimore City and District of Columbia Public Schools.
Dr. Wilson has taught elementary, secondary and post-secondary education classes. He was an adjunct professor at the Old Dominion University Virginia Center for Career Transition for three years. He holds a Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum/Administration from The George Washington University, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Most recently, Dr. Wilson served as principal of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Home School in Alexandria.
"Dr. Wilson has served ACPS with utmost compassion and respect and has been honored as a 'Distinguished Educational Leader' by "The Washington Post" — twice," Dr. Sherman said. "We are delighted that he agreed to embrace this fresh challenge and be the first leader overseeing our endeavor to innovate learning for all our high school students. This is a historic moment for the division."
"It is an honor and a pleasure for me to take the helm of this opportunity to continue to serve the most driven and ambitious youths in our community," Dr. Wilson said. "This is 21st-century strategy. The T.C. Satellite Campus will augment the educational opportunities provided for our children and take the division to the next level."
Benjamin Costa has been selected to lead Francis C. Hammond 1 Middle School. Costa most recently served as the assistant principal of Westland Middle School in Bethesda, Md. He began his career as an English teacher in 1995 and, since that time, has served the Montgomery County Public Schools division as a dean of students, an alternative education site coordinator and a student support/family counselor.
Costa brings to the Hammond Campus a background in improving pedagogical practices in the classroom, facilitating partnership programs and collaborating with community stakeholders and coordinating and implementing middle school honors English programs. Costa is familiar with working with diverse populations and has created race- and equity-focused professional development programs, resulting in improved performance of black and Hispanic students as measured by course grades, achievement on state tests and decreases in suspensions.
Costa holds a Master of Arts degree in Education Administration from Bowie State University in Bowie, Md. and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass.
“We are truly excited to welcome Benjamin to ACPS,” Sherman said. “He brings valuable experience in the areas of student support, which makes him an outstanding selection to enhance and advance academic achievement at Hammond 1."
Andrea Sparks-Brown is the new principal of Francis C. Hammond 3 Middle School. Sparks-Brown comes to ACPS from the Richmond area, where she most recently held the position of principal at King William High School in King William. The school made Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP) during Sparks-Brown’s tenure, having missed the mark the year prior to her arrival. She began her career in 2001 as an assistant principal at Woodbridge Senior High School in Woodbridge. She held several assistant principal positions in Woodbridge schools before taking the helm at King William High School.
She has presented diversity training to several school systems, focusing on basic understanding of methods that teachers can implement to create a stronger understanding of all types of student cultures. She also has presented at several conferences on teacher training, methods of professional learning communities and implementation of differential instruction.
Sparks-Brown is a doctoral student with Walden University in Minneapolis, Minn. She holds a Certification in Secondary Administration, a Master of Education from George Mason University in Fairfax and a Bachelor of Science from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
“Andrea’s leadership qualities, knowledge of cultivating success among diverse communities and proven success in leading secondary students to achieve academically make her an excellent choice to lead Hammond 3,” Sherman said. “We welcome her to Alexandria and look forward to supporting her efforts and to her contributions to ACPS.”
For more information about the T.C. Satellite Campus, contact Dr. Madye Henson, deputy superintendent for student support and institutional advancement, at 703-845-5615. Contact Greg Forbes, director of secondary school counseling, at 703-824-6876 to register. For more information regarding ACPS middle schools, contact Dr. Gregory Hutchings, director of PreK - 12 programs, at 703-824-6912.
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