New principal for Columbus elementary school recommended by Muscogee County superintendent
The next principal of South Columbus Elementary School is expected to be familiar to those attending the school on Torch Hill Road.
During the Muscogee County School District board’s monthly work session Monday night, superintendent David Lewis recommended Victoria Griffin to succeed the retiring Dawn Jenkins as SCES principal.
Jenkins has been SCES principal for nine years — and Griffin has been the school’s assistant principal for four years.
Board members didn’t publicly discuss the recommendation, so no objections are evident. They are scheduled to vote on it during the April 15 meeting.
According to her resume, Griffin has 15 years of experience as an educator in MCSD. Her previous positions are special-education teacher at Double Churches Middle School (2008-15), local educational agent representative at DCMS (2015-17) and academic coach at SCES (2017-20).
Griffin earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University in 1994, a teaching certificate for K-12 special education and reading endorsement from Columbus State University in 2011, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in accomplished teaching from Valdosta State University in 2014 and a specialist’s degree in education leadership from VSU in 2015.
Before she became an educator, Griffin worked as a juvenile probation officer for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (1994-96), program coordinator at the PACE Center for Girls, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida (1996-99) and operations program manager for the Florida Department of Children and Families/Child Care Services (1999-2007).
In an emailed reply to the Ledger-Enquirer’s questions, Lewis explained why he recommends Griffin to be the next SCES principal.
“In addition to our district’s Aspiring Principal Program, Mrs. Griffin has been afforded opportunities by Principal Jenkins to experience firsthand the many and varied instructional and operational dimensions of principalship,” Lewis wrote. “Furthermore, as the school’s previous academic coach and current assistant principal, Mrs. Griffin has played an integral role in the school’s success and continued improvement. Her appointment would ensure continuity and continue the school community’s positive momentum forward.”
An example of that positive momentum at SCES is the school’s improvement on the Georgia Milestones Assessment System, the state’s standardized tests. From the 2020-21 school year to the 2022-23 school year, SCES increased its percentage of students considered to be proficient from 9.8% to 14.9% in English language arts, from 3.9% to 17.6% in math and from 17.9% to 20.4% in science, according to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
If the board approves, Griffin would assume the position July 1. She was selected out of 22 candidates who applied and five who interviewed, Lewis said.
