Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Lowndes County Public Schools (LCPS) have appointed a Montgomery educator to take the helm as principal at Central Elementary School (CES).

Sharrod Campbell comes to the position from Montgomery Public Schools, where he has been assistant principal at Highland Gardens Elementary School. He will begin his first tenure as a principal in Lowndes County July 1.

Campbell steps into the position vacated by Traci English. As a young man, his own difficulties achieving academic success inspired his desire to help students reach their full potential.

“I wasn’t the best student,” Campbell said. “I was probably what you call an unruly student, so I missed a lot of skills growing up. I graduated from high school late after failing the exit exam multiple times. People in my community asked me to work as a counselor at the Boys and Girls Club and [it was there] I fell in love with working with kids and students.”

Campbell began his career as an educator as a physical education teacher at Southlawn Elementary School in Montgomery. Following a stint in the U.S. Army Reserves basic training, he returned to teaching as technology coordinator at Halcyon Elementary.

He was deployed as border control for a year and a half before applying as assistant principal at Highland Gardens. The position has helped to prepare him as a good fit, for Central Elementary and the community it serves.

“We received great reviews [for Campbell] from his current supervisor as well as his campus supervisor,” said LCPS Superintendent Samita Jeter. “They both talked about his engagement with not only the children and the staff, but in the community. They spoke highly of him as it relates to being able to gain the trust of teachers. He gains the commitment of his teachers because he takes an interest in providing them the resources and assistance needed.”

As CES principal, Campbell said he plans to observe where students are academically, socially and emotionally.

“I want to make sure that I’m supporting teachers, whatever they need for better instruction, even if it’s just opening up the campus on the weekend, whatever support they need,” he said. “I want to be a resource for parents, where they feel they can come and Central is a safe place.”

To that end, Campbell said he will be going outside the classroom and into the community to build relationships with community members and partners to give parents whatever he can.

“I want to assess for 90 days, then get with my team and collaborate on how we can move academics forward where our students can have more success when it comes to reading,” Campbell said.

Literacy will be a primary focus, he explained. Recently, CES third-graders tested at a level indicating 85% read at their grade level. While the number is good, it is the lowest in all LCPS elementary schools.

“We want to make sure that our students can matriculate to the fourth grade,” Campbell said. “Making sure that our foundational grades are being held accountable is also important, because sometimes we look at third grade but don’t realize we could have put interventions in place in kindergarten, first and second grade and see better results in the third, fourth and fifth grades.”

Campbell said he looks forward to meeting and serving the families of Central Elementary.

“I’m just a common, hard working person who loves people,” he said. “I plan on going to a lot of student activities outside the school. I’m willing to partner with people to make sure we provide the things our students need.”