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EOCES principal grateful for support she’s receiving |
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Wednesday, 08 July 2009 |
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 Shea Staskowski/SDN New East Oktibbeha County Elementary School principal Yolanda McGee assists Carneisha Brandy, 8, with her Reading First program computer exercise. By SHEA STASKOWSKI
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Yolanda McGee says she is grateful for the confidence shown in her by Oktibbeha County School District officials as she begins her tenure as principal of East Oktibbeha County Elementary School.
After several weeks of interviews, Supt. James Covington recommended McGee be hired by the county school board as the new EOCES principal — a recommendation the board approved unanimously during a special meeting last Thursday.
McGee began work helming the school on Monday.
“I was elated, scared and grateful that Supt. Covington and the school board felt I was capable of running the school,” McGee said about her initial reaction to the board’s approval. “Sometimes you don’t know people have that much confidence in you,” she added.
Though new to the principal position, McGee has been a teacher at East Elementary for the last three years. She is confident her time in the school and the relationships she has already formed will ensure her success as a new principal and will shorten the acclimation process.
“I just thought it was the right time for me,” McGee said about her application for principal. “I figured that with my expertise and the fact that I’ve been here that I could possibly be a good candidate.”
McGee, a Cleveland native, graduated from Delta State University as an elementary education major, but that was not her original field of study when she started her collegiate path.
“Originally, I thought I was going to be an attorney,” McGee said. “But during my sophomore year, I woke up one morning and thought about teaching. I had never even considered teaching until then.”
McGee started college as an English major, like so many pre-law students and even worked at two different law firms during that time.
“It’s like the Lord said, ‘No ma’am,’” McGee said of her original career path. So after an extra year of college to make up for time spent as an English major, McGee graduated with a degree in education.
After undergraduate school, McGee attended the University of Mississippi to receive her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and she is currently pursuing her specialist’s degree in special education. She is scheduled to receive her specialist’s degree this December.
With a little less than five weeks until students return, McGee has her work cut out for her to make sure everything is ready for the fall semester. She has school rosters to organize, daily bell schedules to work out, and most importantly, is using this time to learn the specifics of running a school.
McGee is also organizing professional development workshops for teachers, who will return just days before students. She feels that with effective professional development, teachers will be more prepared than ever for the new school year.
But even with students out for summer, McGee has roughly 50 students in kindergarten to third grade participating in the Reading First program until the end of the month. Reading First is funded by a grant that is designed to help students who need extra attention with reading.
Over the next three weeks, students will be participating in reading-intensive activities to prepare them for the upcoming school year. Instructors will utilize computer programs, reading comprehension and word and letter recognition to bring students up to their grade’s reading level before they have a chance to fall behind once school starts.
“It’s for students on the cusp of being an average reader and gives them extra help before school starts back,” McGee explained.
When students return, McGee is looking most forward to seeing their reaction when they walk in the school the first day and see her in the principal’s office.
She hopes that by students seeing their former teacher in a new position of authority will inspire them to know that they are capable of the same, she said.
Her initial goals as new principal are to be as “effective, efficient and consistent as possible,” she said. East Elementary is also adding three new teachers to its staff for the upcoming school year. McGee plans to serve as a mentor for the new teachers.
“I’m not so far removed from where they will be,” McGee said. “I hope to be a mentor, a sounding board and try to provide any answers to their questions,” she added.
As far as being an administrator, McGee plans to maintain a good portion of what previous principal Broderwick Cochran had done for the school, but she does feel that her being a woman will cater better to the nurturing side of being an elementary school principal. She also feels her overly-organized personality will lend itself well to being a resource for teachers.
“I’m a stickler for trying to find any help I can for teachers,” she said. She added that she will be active in pursuing any and all grants that will enable teachers to enhance their classrooms. “I’m excited to start a new year and see where it takes us.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 09 July 2009 )
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