By Sarah Templeton, Staff Writer
With five children at home and an impressive list of past employment in area schools, Leslie Alexander is no stranger to working with kids.
Alexander is currently the principal at John F. Kennedy High School and also has served as assistant principal at Wiley Middle School, Curriculum Coordinator at Paisley IB Magnet School, literacy consultant and media coordinator at East Forsyth Middle School, education consultant at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, media specialist and staff development coordinator at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, media specialist and writing and remediation specialist at Union Cross Elementary School, and English teacher at Glenn High School.
Starting June 15, that list will grow by one more title: Principal, R.J. Reynolds High School.
“I’m excited to be a part of the tradition at Reynolds,” Alexander said when reached by phone Thursday. “I absolutely love education. I’m an advocate for kids.”
Alexander’s love for learning and teaching shows in her own list of education. Alexander holds a bachelors degree in English from Guilford College, where she graduated a High Honors student; a masters of library and information studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; a school administrative license from High Point University; and an education specialist in educational leadership title from Appalachian State University. Alexander is anticipating earning a doctorate in education in educational leadership from Appalachian State this December.
According to Alexander’s JFK website, she and her husband are avid ASU fans and frequent the campus during football season. Between them, the couple has five girls and two “boys” — a five-pound Chihuahua named Poncho and a new puppy named Bubba. Read more about Alexander (and see photos like the one from Fenway Park) on her page at Kennedy’s website.
Thursday’s announcement about the hiring of Alexander ended a period of great uncertainty for the students and staff at RJR.
“I have no clue what’s going on; nobody does,” said sophomore Sydney Smith, offering a sentiment that captured the general confusion about the leadership of Reynolds after Pat Olsen announced his resignation March 13.
A meeting on March 26, however, cleared the air with the announcement of Tony Mills as the interim principal. At that meeting, Superintendent Beverly Emory and Assistant Superintendent Carol Montague-Davis told staff members they would search for the best candidate for the Reynolds job, whether it took a short period of time to hire someone within the county or a longer period to find an unknown.
Mills is no stranger to RJR or the interim position. He was an assistant principal from August 2001 through May 2011 and the interim between principals Stan Elrod and Art Paschal. His official starting date was March 30, when Olsen left for the next stage in his career.
“I’m enrolling in barber school,” Olsen said on his departure after a farewell ceremony in the media center that included the unveiling of his portrait and A Cappella’s performance of the alma mater. “I’m going to try and finish in about 10 months. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do when I retired; I just decided to do it sooner rather than later.”
Olsen said he chose to leave before spring break to make the transition smoother for both students and staff, as well as to give the school board more time to find a replacement.
As it turned out, the time necessary for finding a permanent successor was fairly short. Montague-Davis attributed this to Alexander’s stand-out resume, personality and drive.
“I think she’s a visionary,” Montague-Davis said Thursday about Alexander, moments after sharing the news with the Reynolds faculty. “She’s very passionate about education, athletics, the arts, her students and her staff.”
Alexander has been a member of the Winston-Salem community for 23 years and looks forward to joining the Reynolds community as well. She will meet with teachers and parents and also attend events at RJR to learn more about her new school.
“I look forward to getting to know the students,” Alexander said. “I know there’s a great student body, and I want to interact with everybody that I can.”
As principal, Alexander hopes to get everyone — students, parents and teachers — involved in making decisions for the school. This includes upholding the school’s traditions, as well as determining changes that need to be made. As Alexander put it, “Make Reynolds the best that it can be.”
Until Alexander officially begins, Mills will remain as the interim. His last day will be June 12 — the final day of school — and he will also oversee graduation. Alexander will begin June 15, the first teacher work day at the end of the year.
“Mr. Mills will do an excellent job,” Montague-Davis said. “He loves Reynolds. He’s been there before, so he knows the student population and he knows the legacy of the school.”
Mills is excited to be at Reynolds and to aid in the preparation for the new leadership.
“I was happy to hear I’ll be able to stay until mid-June,” Mills said. “I will provide as much support as the incoming principal needs.”