At its Thursday, June 13 meeting, the Clarke County Board of Education approved the appointment of Derrick Maxwell as interim principal of Clarke Middle School for the 2024-25 school year.
Mr. Maxwell will fill the opening left by outgoing principal Dr. Amanda Gorham, who has accepted a position as principal of her high school alma mater in Fulton County.
Mr. Maxwell is no stranger to CCSD, having begun his educational career in 2002 as a teacher at BHL Middle for five years. After spending a year with the District Office as an after-school program specialist, he returned to BHL as an assistant principal and was later principal of Whit Davis Elementary from 2012-2016. Following a two-year stay at Commerce Middle School as principal, he returned to CCSD in 2018 to become principal at Cedar Shoals High. Most recently, he served as principal of Winder-Barrow High School and had been with the Barrow County School System since 2019.
āMr. Maxwell has been a long-time supporter of and advocate for Clarke County students,ā said Dr. Hooker. āHe not only has great familiarity with our school district, but he has a proven track record of being an effective and successful school leader. His leadership ability will be a tremendous asset to CMS during this period of transition for the school.ā
Mr. Maxwell holds a bachelorās degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia, a masterās in Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University, a specialist degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University, and is in the process of earning his Doctorate of Education in Leadership from Valdosta State University.
āI am extremely honored and excited to join the traditions and excellence already established within the entire Owl nation while creating and sustaining new levels of excellence in the beautiful and long-awaited new building,ā said Mr. Maxwell. āI canāt wait to meet or reconnect with the students, staff, and community. Itās going to be a great year! Go Owls!ā