On Mar. 6, at a school board meeting, Assistant Principal Dr. Katie Greer was announced as FHN’s Associate Principal for the 2014-15 school year. Greer will be moving into Jack Ameis’ current position effective July 1. Ameis announced his retirement earlier this year.
“I was surprised and excited and then clearly the nervousness from the unknown,” Greer said. “I felt kind of like I felt last year when they asked me to be Assistant Principal here since I’d never been in that position before. Just fear of the unknown but also excited.”
In order to move from Assistant Principal to Associate Principal, Greer went through a series of interviews at various levels. The first was a District level screening interview held at the District office with a committee of three building administrators and a director from the District office. Next, Greer went through a building interview with a panel of teachers, students, and parents as well as a writing portion. Lastly, Greer went through another written section as well as a presentation in front of the superintendent, Dr. Pam Sloan, three assistant superintendents, and Head Principal Andy Downs.
“It’s very nerve-wracking,” Greer said. “I don’t find it very easy to brag on myself in an interview because a lot of things are done with teachers and the great things they do. After my kids would go to bed, I’d spend time reviewing what I had done and talking to myself.”
As Associate Principal, Greer will take on a larger instructional leadership role and have a greater focus on professional development and PLC work. Greer will also spend more time overseeing FHN’s student achievement plan and special education department. As Associate Principal, Greer will no longer have a student alphabet portion or disciplinary actions to manage.
“I think, number one, she has a lot of wonderful skills, such as the ability to build relationships, organize and communicate, and analyze information and make decisions,” Downs said. “All make her a good Associate Principal. She surveys what’s going and asks questions to improve student achievement.”
With Greer filling a new position next year, the position of Assistant Principal will be posted and interviews will begin after spring break. According to Downs, the interview process can take three weeks to one month and anywhere from 50 to 100 applicants can be expected. Dean of Students Erin Steep is a prospective applicant for the Associate Principal position.
“It’s really been my goal for the past few years,” Steep said. “Right now my role is heavily on disciplinary action, which I enjoy, but I’d like to be more focused on instructional leadership.”
While it is still uncertain as to who will fill the Assistant Principal position, Greer is excited for this new responsibility.
“I’m excited that I’m planning professional development in the building related to goals that we’ve set,” Greer said. “I’m excited to get input from the teachers and to work toward goals that we’ve set and provide them with resources and info they need to help their students in the classroom.”
