Clarke County School District Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker today announced the appointment of two interim principals for the 2024-25 school year. April Braswell, who has served as principal of Whitehead Road Elementary School for the past five years, has been appointed interim principal at W.R. Coile Middle School, replacing Dr. Beverly Ford who resigned last week after accepting a principal position in North Carolina. Whitehead Road assistant principal Bylan Swift has been appointed interim principal for the school for 2024-25.

Both appointments are effective immediately and are intended to be temporary assignments for the next school year.

“Both of these dedicated educators have a unique knowledge of the schools they will lead during the coming year,” said Dr. Hooker. “Their familiarity with the staff, students, families, and communities they will serve will allow us to maintain continuity for all and will set the stage for a successful school year.”

Ms. Braswell has 22 years of educational experience and was previously at Coile Middle from 2015-2019 as an assistant principal before taking over as principal at Whitehead Road. She began her career with CCSD as a math teacher at Cedar Shoals High School and then taught high school math in Walton County for 11 years before returning to CCSD in her AP role at Coile.

Ms. Braswell holds two bachelor degrees from Valdosta State University in Applied Mathematics and Secondary Education: Math. She earned her master’s in Educational Leadership from Columbus State University and holds a specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia College and State University.

Ms. Swift joined Whitehead Road as an assistant principal at the start of the 2022-23 school year after spending 18 years with Gwinnett County Public Schools – seven years as an elementary school teacher and then 11 as an elementary assistant principal. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Clemson University, a master’s in Reading and Literacy from Walden University, and a specialist degree inTeacher Leadership from Piedmont University.

Also at Whitehead Road, Shanna McGettigan, who serves as the school’s multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) coordinator, has been appointed as an interim assistant principal joining fellow AP Tiffany Mosley.