Stewart promoted to Discovery principal

MADISON – At its June 2 meeting, Madison Board of Education approved Superintendent Robby Parker’s and his search committee’s recommendation for Kimberly P. Stewart as Principal of Discovery Middle School.

“Even though I love all of our schools, Discovery is my heart,” Stewart said in accepting her new position.

Stewart has worked as assistant principal at Discovery since July 2015. She served as assistant principal at Horizon Elementary School from January 2011 until her appointment at Discovery.

Before working at Horizon, she taught seventh-grade language arts and English at Discovery for 13.5 years. In 2005, Stewart was named Discovery’s “Teacher of the Year.” She also worked as a sixth-grade science at Compton-Drew Middle School in St. Louis, Mo. before moving to Alabama.

“Discovery was my first home away from home when I relocated to Alabama in 1997,” Stewart said in a previous interview about moving from St. Louis, Mo.

“Ms. Stewart has extensive involvement in matters dealing with special education, Title 1 tutoring, pupil support teams, screening and selection of new faculty and staff, scheduling and faculty professional development,” MCS Public Relations Manager John Peck said.

From all her contacts in school, she remembers one student who was very bright but liked to be off-task in class. “I gave that student the challenge of teaching the class one day. I, in turn, sat in his seat and became the student,” Stewart said.

“My behavior mimicked his perfectly, which proved quite a challenge to him, especially since his grade for the day depended upon his success in ensuring all students mastered the lesson,” Stewart said. “He wrote me a letter explaining his newfound understanding of the challenge of teaching.”

Almost magically, the student’s off-task behavior disappeared, she said. “That student moved away, but several years later he wrote me a letter of gratitude for his special opportunity. I still have that letter.”

Stewart earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at St. Louis University and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Grand Canyon University.

She and husband Dwight have been married 25 years. He works as a senior acquisition analyst on Redstone Arsenal. Their children are 18-year-old Nadia, a Bob Jones High School graduate, and 14-year-old Nathan, a Bob Jones freshman.

Stewart fills the vacancy left by colleague Eric Terrell, who was named MCS Assistant Superintendent – Operations.