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Assistant principal moves up a notch

Edith Speight, Crystal River Primary's new principal, has been working at the school for 23 years.

By EDDY RAMIREZ
Published December 13, 2005

CRYSTAL RIVER - Edith Speight has been named principal at Crystal River Primary School.

Outgoing principal Mark McCoy gathered his staff Monday morning to announce the news.

Speight, who accepted the job Sunday, was seated with the rest of the staff.

"Everybody cheered," he said. "Everybody's arms went up in the air."

Assistant superintendent Linda Kelley said Speight was chosen from a pool of six candidates.

"One of the things that impresses me about Edith is that she has so much energy and she is very kid focused," Kelley said. "It should be a very seamless transition."

Speight has worked at Crystal River Primary for 23 years.

She started teaching in 1979 and has been assistant principal the past three years.

"It's a comfortable fit for me," Speight said.

Speight, who has worked under four principals, said she hopes to build on the success of several existing programs as principal. She will work closely with McCoy, who now becomes principal at Crystal River Middle, to help ease the transition among elementary students entering middle school.

Speight said she will also help spearhead efforts to make renovations to the aging school and continue to push for more parental involvement.

"I have taught the parents of children who go here," she said. "I have personal connections. ... I have had a good influence on the style of leadership that I want, and I hope to make a difference."

[Last modified December 13, 2005, 01:30:24]