The Jefferson Parish Public School System announced its new principals at schools throughout the district.
Terrah Harrison-Averette – St. Ville Elementary School
Terrah Harrison-Averette has been named principal of St. Ville Elementary School. She most recently served as academic dean at Terrytown Elementary. When defining her educational philosophy, Averette said that college and career readiness begins in kindergarten. She holds a Master of Educational Leadership from Our Lady of Holy Cross College.
Lisa Babin – Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies
Lisa Babin began her career with JPPSS in 1996 and has served as an elementary teacher, two years as an assistant principal and she is currently a kindergarten teacher at Metairie Academy. In that capacity, Babin acted as both the developer and implementer of curriculum and managed school wide instructional improvements, working as a dedicated member of the school team. She has a Master of Educational Leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University with 36 hours in Special Education/Early Childhood, University of New Orleans & Delgado Community College.
Sharon Meggs-Hamilton – Grace King High School
Sharon Meggs-Hamilton will lead Grace King High School as its principal this upcoming school year. Meggs-Hamilton has previously served as a high school assistant principal at West Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson and Helen Cox. Her experiences at the three schools have shown her how to uphold high academic and behavioral expectations for diverse populations of students – including accelerated, ESL, special education and academically at-risk children. She has a Master of Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans.
Davon Hayes – Livaudais Middle School
Davon Hayes was named to the permanent principalship at Livaudais after having served as its acting principal as well as its assistant principal. She implemented and facilitated teacher professional development and tutoring programs for students. Hayes has a Master of Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans.
Terry Johnson – Harry S. Truman Middle School
Terry Johnson will take over as principal of Truman after having served as both its acting and assistant principal. Together with her entire team, Johnson pledged to continue to ensure that Truman students receive the quality education needed to become successful leaders and upright citizens. She received a Master of Educational Administration and Supervision from Our Lady of Holy Cross College.
Stephanie Scott – Harahan Elementary School
Stephanie Scott has been selected as the principal of Harahan Elementary School. Previously, she was the assistant principal at Harahan. As a school leader, Scott said that she is a student-focused, visionary educational leader committed to excellence and the development of students and staff. She received a Master of Educational Administration and Supervision from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
John Starr – Marie Riviere Elementary School
John Starr has been named as principal of Marie Riviere Elementary School. Prior to his appointment, he served as the assistant principal of Marrero Middle School. Among his accomplishments, he utilized strong teachers to provide a diverse selection of professional development sessions. He has a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of New Orleans.
Darlene Turnbull – Washington Elementary School
Darlene Turnbull was named as principal of Washington Elementary School. She was previously the assistant principal of Clancy-Maggiore Elementary School. Her educational philosophy is to create a school environment where teachers feel empowered and are active contributors in the decision making process. She holds a Master of Education from Our Lady of Holy Cross College.
Andrew Vincent – Thomas Jefferson High School
Andrew Vincent will lead Thomas Jefferson High School as its principal. For the past two years, he served as assistant principal of Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies. In that role, he assisted in several data-driven professional development PD initiatives, including book studies and the implementation of web-based software (ANET). He has a Master of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership from the University of New Orleans.
Latonga Watts Toney – Woodland West Elementary School
Latonga Watts Toney will lead Woodland West Elementary School as its principal this upcoming school year. Toney has been successful in working with others to measurably increase student achievement. She has gained substantial experiences and knowledge in her roles as a TAP Master Teacher, Literacy Integration Specialist, and Assistant Principal at Woodland West where the school report card score went from a “D” to a “B”. Her educational philosophy is that through systematic and explicit instruction students of all abilities can be challenged to discover their strengths and maximize their full academic potential. She has a Master of Educational Leadership from Our Lady of Holy Cross College. She will begin working on her Executive Leadership Doctorate at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in the Fall of 2015.
Danielle Yunusah – Riverdale High School
Danielle Yunusah has been named the new principal of Riverdale High School. Her previous experience includes six years as the assistant principal of John Q. Adams Middle School. While there, she helped Adams raise their school letter grade from a C to a B and earned 10 bonus points for significant growth with the lowest performing students. She holds a Master of Education from the University of New Orleans.