Green chosen as principal of Madison’s newest high school
Madison’s new high school now has a principal.
Green
Dr. John Green was unanimously approved at the Thursday Board of Education meeting to take the helm as principal of James Clemens High School, expected to open Fall 2012.
“I feel extremely fortunate to be a part of this district,” Green said to the board. “I’m really in awe of your accomplishments thus far.”
Green retired in Georgia, but his knack for education brought him back into the halls.
“The direction this school district is going in terms of opening a brand new school, meeting the needs of the growing population and really trying to focus on high level excellence for all the students was very attractive to me,” Green said. “It’s obvious there’s a passion for strong education in this community and that’s consistent with what I’ve been accustomed to.”
Green comes to Madison from Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia, where he served as area superintendent from July 2008 to July 2011.
During a time of rapid growth, Green supervised 46 principals and 53,000 students.
He opened three clusters of new schools and supervised the transition of redistricting, construction, hiring faculty and staff and transitioning into new facilities. Gwinnett County built 100 schools in 20 years.
Green served as principal of Gwinnett High School from 1998 to 2008. During his tenure there, he increased the number of students enrolled in AP courses by 600 percent in a five-year period. He increased Standardized Achievement Test (SAT) scores, oversaw a $1 million-plus stadium and facilities expansion and implemented programs to support a student increase of 1,500 to 3,000 over a five-year period of time.
Green received his B.S. in mathematics education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a master’s in mathematics education from Georgia State University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Georgia.
Green began his career as a math teacher in 1982 and has also served as an assistant and associate principal.
He has served as a member of the Leadership Cabinet under the direction of the CEO/Superintendent for Gwinnett’s public school system. He was a finalist for the 2011 Broad Superintends Academy.
Green said his first order of business as principal, effective Sept. 26, would be to focus on the community and its students.
“Listening to those people that are most directly involved with the school being a high-quality school,” he said. “Not just looking at the high school program, but really zeroing in with a K-12 focus. I think the school has to be a big part of the community and the community is even a bigger part of the school.”
Green has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 27 years. They have three children: daughter, Cameron, a freshman at the University of Alabama; Preston, a junior at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee; and Jaryd, a graduate from the University of Georgia.
“For me, my family and my career, I felt this was a great chance to do the thing I love to do,” he said. “I look forward to working with everybody in the district and really getting to know folks.”
