New principal to join T.C. Miller Elementary

Heritage Elementary School Assistant Principal Amy Huskin will replace April Bruce as the new principal of T.C. Miller Elementary School.

Superintendent Paul McKendrick revealed Huskin’s promotion after a closed school board session following the 6 p.m. school board meeting and said she could start as early as a week from now.

“She has a background in science and gifted education and that is helpful as we develop the school into a STEM school,” McKendrick said, also noting Huskin’s experience as assistant principal at Heritage and as a former science teacher at T.C. Miller. “I just expect her to do great.”

T.C. Miller is a School for Innovation, with a focus on science, technology, engineering, math and the performing arts.

Current T.C. Miller Principal April Bruce had formerly worked as division supervisor for math, science, gifted, health and physical education and will be returning to an expanded administration role that includes supervising testing, schools for innovation, guidance counselors and gifted programs. Bruce has been principal at T.C. Miller since November of last year.

In other business:

- Middle and high school students will see a presentation on the dangers of inappropriate electronic transmissions, or “sexting,” tentatively scheduled for Dec. 8.

McKendrick said that the move is not in response to any local incident but rather stems from concern about a national trend. Gloria Preston, director of student services, ran through the presentation intended for students with the board members at the meeting. Part of the presentation was a clip from the “Today Show” which cited a poll in which 20 percent of teens admitted to sexting.

McKendrick indicated that he and other administrators wanted school staff to understand proper protocol for confiscating explicit photos or material, so that they too are not charged with possession or distribution of child pornography.

“We could debate whether the law is fair and equitable, but the law is the law,” Preston said.

McKendrick said that parents would have the option to request their child not see the presentation, and he and the board members discussed the possibility of putting the presentation up on line for parents to review.

- The school board viewed a presentation on the demographics of teachers in the school division.

Among statistics discussed after the presentation was that 23 black males and 73 black females are employed as classroom teachers by the school system, out of 763 total teachers.

“It is indeed striking, the lack of minority representation,” school board member Regina Dolan-Sewell said, adding that for her it underscores the importance of recruiting at historically black colleges and universities.

McKendrick reiterated his interest in developing stronger ties with colleges with teaching programs, including historically black colleges and universities in Virginia, above and beyond the level of recruiting at school job fairs.