New Academy Prep leader draws praise
The private school's new chief was recently principal at TUMC Academy, a Tampa public charter school.
By MARY JANE PARK
Published July 24, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - Jim Shearer, whose professional career has focused on at-risk youth, is the new head of school at Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg.
School officials said Brenda Thompson, who led the school for the past two years, did not renew her annual contract and departed early this month. She is a former administrator and professor at the college of education at Florida A&M University.
Shearer most recently was principal at TUMC Academy, a public charter school under the auspices of Tampa United Methodist Centers. It closed in June.
"I think we got real lucky," said Ben Fisher, executive director of the Academy Prep Foundation, citing Shearer's experience working with underprivileged children and his administrative skills.
"Certainly, he will be bolstered here by Jesse Williams," the school's dean of students and director of activities, Fisher said. "(Williams is) good at dealing with the children on a day-to-day basis."
Academy Prep St. Petersburg, at 2301 22nd Ave. S, is a private academy for at-risk students in grades 5 through 8. All attend on scholarships.
Shearer was an adult probation officer and community outreach worker who "has had unique opportunities to work with many professional athletes and recording artists in coordinating and producing summer sports camps, concerts and special events to benefit underserved youth in several U.S. cities," the school's Web site says.
He has a bachelor's degree in human sciences from Texas Tech University, did graduate work in organizational leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary and is working toward a master's degree at Nova Southeastern University.
He founded Hope4theCity, an urban consulting and resource organization and runs his own entertainment company, 2-Tuff Productions.
He and his wife, Kristye, have two young children.