 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Change in command
By JOSH ZIMMER, Times Staff Writer ODESSA -- Donning a gold-colored crown, Kathy Flanagan sat down Thursday for her last appearance on Walker Middle School's morning TV show. It was an upbeat moment for the popular principal, who is leaving the school after 21/2 years. She smilingly referred to herself as the queen, an inside joke among staffers. Then she removed the gold-colored crown and handed it to her successor, former Ben Hill Middle School assistant principal Wynne Tye. "I'm going to miss all of you," Flanagan said. Flanagan, 48, will be principal at Martinez Middle School, scheduled to open in August to relieve overcrowding in this fast-growing area. Walker's enrollment is expected to drop by about 600 students to 1,000. During a coffee-and-doughnut get-together in the library, Flanagan said more goodbyes while Tye mingled with her new staff, some of whom she already knows. "Have a wonderful day, Wynne," said Marge Ferrer, an autistic class aide. "So glad you're here with us." Tye beat out a long list of candidates for the opening, said James Gatlin, the area director for the school district. He expressed confidence in Tye, whose special education background is expected to mesh well with Walker's ambitious exceptional student program. "I think things are very much in place," he said. "I don't think this school will miss a beat." Tye, 44, is a 21-year veteran who spent the past four years at Ben Hill. She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of South Florida and started her career in special education. "I just had the desire to do that since I was in high school," she said. Before short stints at Tomlin and Buchanan middle schools, she was an assistant principal at Caminiti Exceptional Child Center in Tampa. Tye, who is married with two children, said she was excited about the opportunity to guide Walker through the downsizing. Although teacher-student ratios will remain the same, the atmosphere of the school will change dramatically as the population shrinks, she said. "There's going to be a lot of nurturing," she said. "We should lose all the portables. It will be a nice-sized school. "My first objective is to get to know the faculty, the students and the important people in the community," she said. "This is a great school and doesn't need many changes." -- Josh Zimmer covers Keystone, Citrus Park and the environment. He can be reached at 269-5314.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times |
