New School Gets A Principal

Profile

Michael Shepherd

• Raised in Pine Bluff; graduated from Pine Bluff High School

• Received bachelor’s degree in education from University of Arkansas in 1995, master’s in political science from the University of Memphis in 1999 and doctorate in educational leadership from Arkansas State University in 2006

• Taught social studies for nine years before moving into administration

• Spent three weeks in Japan studying the country’s educational system as a Fulbright Memorial Fund Fellow

• Lives in Springdale with wife, Lara Shepherd, and two children, a second-grader and fourth-grader, both students at Young Elementary School

Source: Staff Report

— The School District is promoting from within to fill the principal’s position at its new junior high school.

Michael Shepherd, an assistant principal at Har-Ber High School since 2006, will be introduced at Tuesday’s School Board meeting as the first principal of the junior high school under construction at the northwest corner of Hylton Road and Julio Road. The school for grades eight and nine is scheduled to open in August with about 800 students.

“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Shepherd said. “Most people don’t get the chance to lead a brand new school, to hire the entire staff, to put in place a vision and philosophy. Everything is a blank slate.”

Shepherd’s resume reflects several honors, the highest of which is the Assistant Principal of the Year award granted to him by the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 2011. Other awards include the 2001 national U.S. History Teacher of the Year award from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals cited Shepherd’s role as Har-Ber’s Advanced Placement coordinator as a major reason he was chosen for the 2011 national award. To improve the AP program, Shepherd helped secure money to support a lead teacher for the advanced math, English and science courses. He also opened AP access to all students and encouraged as many as possible to participate. As a result, AP participation increased from 298 students to 663 students in three years, the association said.

In addition, Shepherd earned a licensure endorsement in English as a Second Language to help meet the needs of Springdale’s English language learners, and he renewed his certification as a National Board certified teacher in 2009.

Springdale originally hired Shepherd, 39, in 2004 to teach social studies at Har-Ber. One year later he joined Central Junior High as an assistant principal before returning to Har-Ber to serve in the same position.

Before coming to Springdale he taught high school social studies in Walnut Ridge and Marion.

Superintendent Jim Rollins said Shepherd represents the very best in school leadership.

“He’s very student-centered,” Rollins said. “He has demonstrated throughout his career his caring for students. When you couple that with an individual trained the way he is, the ability to work with teachers to fashion an instructional program to meet the needs of each child, you have a very special leader.”

About six candidates received serious consideration for the job, Rollins said, adding district officials are comfortable with Shepherd because of his academic credentials and his work ethic.

A salary figure for Shepherd was not available Friday.

The unnamed junior high will be Springdale’s 28th school and fourth junior high. The total estimated cost for the facility is $27 million.

Gary Compton, an assistant superintendent, said he took Shepherd on a tour of the construction site last week. The 190,000-square-foot building is expected to be done by the end of May.

“That is such a luxury to have that schedule,” Compton said. “It allows us to move in furniture and do decorations during all of June and July.”

The school is now completely enclosed. Work on the driveways will begin soon.

Compton complimented Springdale for the work it has done to improve and expand Hylton Road. The city has paved a roughly mile-long stretch of Hylton between U.S. 412 and Don Tyson Parkway in anticipation of the junior high’s opening.

Shepherd said he hopes to have assistant principals hired by the end of this month. The rest of the school’s staff — between 60 and 65 people — should be in place by May 1.

Shepherd will continue as assistant principal at Har-Ber through the end of the school year while preparing for his new job. He acknowledged the next several months will be chaotic.

“Basically everything not bolted to the walls has to be decided upon in the next couple of months,” Shepherd said. “Every table, every chalkboard. So it will be a lot of work over the next several months.”

One of his priorities, he said, is to establish a culture at the new school where the entire community is involved.

Upcoming Events