Clayton transfers to lead James Clemens
One administrator leaves as another moves up for Madison City Schools.
Dr. Brian Clayton is the new principal at James Clemens High School.
At its June 5 meeting, Madison Board of Education voted unanimously to place Dr. Brian Clayton as principal of James Clemens High School. Clayton has served as principal at Liberty Middle School for the past year.
Clayton fills the vacancy left by Dr. John Greene, who accepted the position of superintendent for Jackson County (Ga.) Schools.
Madison superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler said the board received about 50 applications for the James Clemens slot. After screening, five candidates were interviewed by Dr. Neil Lamb, Dr. Camille Wright, the James Clemens staff and a Madison resident.
Fowler compared the opening of James Clemens with the birth of ‘John-John’ Kennedy. “Bob Jones High School has a great legacy and James Clemens is being born from that legacy,” Fowler said.
Clayton will bring respect to Madison’s new high school, director of secondary education Dr. Camille Wright said. At Liberty, Clayton earned state recognition for the instructor partner program and promoted the internationally acclaimed “I Am Human” video.
“I haven’t slept more than a couple of hours in a row lately because I’m thinking of work to be done,” Clayton said. “I’m very excited about James Clemens. The Jet (school mascot) is being built to take flight on Aug. 20.”
From Clayton’s appointment, a “byproduct will be his relationship with 600 kids from Liberty” who will attend James Clemens, Fowler said.
During his career, Clayton has taught math at Greensboro High School, served as assistant principal and then principal of Hale County High School in Moundville, worked as principal at Thomasville High School and Rock Quarry Middle School in Tuscaloosa.
Clayton was raised in Eutaw. He earned bachelor and master’s degrees in secondary math and a doctorate degree in education administration at the University of Alabama.
By state law, the Madison board must advertise the principal opening at Liberty for two weeks.
