Veteran principal to lead N. Chas.

A veteran principal with a reputation for making schools successful has been tapped to lead the effort to improve North Charleston High School, and some are unhappy that the school's former principal will not return this fall.

Juanita Middleton, who has led rural St. James-Santee Elementary and Lincoln High schools, received the school board's endorsement Monday night to take over at North Charleston High. The board agreed in April to reconstitute the school this fall after years of academic failure that resulted in the school facing the most serious sanctions under state and federal law.

All of the school's roughly 100 employees, from the custodian to the principal, had to reapply for their jobs; and the school will implement High Schools that Work, a nationally recognized, research-based reform model.

Community leaders have been vocal about their concern with the board's decision, and one of their biggest beefs has been with whether the school's principal, Fred Moore, would be rehired. Moore became the school's principal last fall.

School Superintendent Nancy McGinley put together a committee that included Rep. Seth Whipper, former school board Chairman Hillery Douglas and philanthropist Anita Zucker, as well as representatives from Mayor Keith Summey's office, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, the state Education Department and the district, to interview applicants for the job. Middleton was the committee's pick.

"I think (Middleton) was heads and shoulders above everyone else," Douglas said. "It was a clear cut hit out of the park."

Three school board members — Chris Collins, Elizabeth Kandrac and Arthur Ravenel Jr. — voted against Middleton getting the job. Collins said he didn't have anything against her and thought she'd do a good job, but he voted that way because of the way the district treated Moore.

"The district didn't give Moore the support he needed to succeed there," he said. "I voted no because I didn't think we treated him fairly. They didn't give him enough time, support or authority to make changes."

Dot Scott, president of the Charleston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said she has nothing against Middleton, but district officials should've asked her to mentor instead of replace Moore. She questioned why the district didn't wait to see the results from this past school year, such as its graduation and suspension rate, before making a decision to change leadership.

McGinley said Moore resigned from the district before the board agreed to hire Middleton. Moore had the support of a principal specialist as well as district and state officials; and he and the district parted on amicable terms, she said.

"We feel we made the right decision, and we're moving forward," she said. "I've heard what other people feel. I just am not going to comment on some factors that are confidential. The perspective that some individuals may have on what transpired is not the full picture that I have."

Middleton has worked for more than 40 years in education, and she's spent the past three years at Burke High School. She decided to apply for the North Charleston High job after the superintendent and others encouraged her to do so, and she said the plans for the school were "right up my alley."

"I just said, 'This is me,' " she said. "I'm ready for this. ... It's almost like this job was made for me."

She's willing to commit three to five years to the job and said that within three years, the community should see significant progress. She's aware of the controversial and challenging situation she's entering, and she said that if people give her a chance, they will see that she's an inclusive leader with experience, knowledge and know-how.

North Charleston High has about seven teaching positions left to fill, and about 40 percent of the instructional staff from last year were rehired for this year. Associate Superintendent Lou Martin said the remaining staff will be hired before the school year begins.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.