Published: June 27, 2008 12:46 pm            

BOE names principals

ASHEBORO — Principals were named last week to oversee Grays Chapel Elementary School and Eastern Randolph High School.

Yvonne Gilmer, currently interim principal at Grays Chapel, was elevated to permanent status by the Randolph County Board of Education after a closed session.

She had been assistant principal until Jan. 2 when David Farlow resigned his principalship.

Brandon Scruggs will take over the top job at Eastern Randolph, succeeding Parks Allen, who is retiring. Gilmer and Scruggs will resume their new responsibilities on July 1.

A native of Greenville, S.C., Gilmer came to Randolph County in August 2007, as assistant principal of Grays Chapel and Franklinville elementaries. She has 23 years experience in education, 17 as a classroom teacher and six as assistant principal. She has worked in Seminole County, Fla., Cumberland County and Guilford County.

Gilmer has an undergraduate degree from Heritage Bible College in Dunn and a master’s in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

“I have a passion for education,” she said. “I believe in early intervention (with the intent) to start the educational journey in a positive manner.”

Having worked with the Grays Chapel staff, Gilmer said she has a good relationship with the faculty and parents.

“I’m excited about the future and what the school has in store,” she said, adding that she believes in the team concept, in which “every voice counts and is heard. Decisions are based on the best interests of the child. Student learning drives all of our decisions, instruction and plans.”

Gilmer said her father was a minister and she moved quite a bit as a girl, including stops in Tennessee, Kansas and Kentucky. Now she’s married to a minister, Steven L. Gilmer. They have two sons, Stuart and Kyle, both teachers.

“I enjoy working in Randolph County,” Gilmer said. “It’s a great community.”

Scruggs grew up in Gretna, Va., north of Danville in Pittsylvania County. An Elon University graduate, he has master’s degrees from Averett University and Longwood College. He was a social studies teacher for five years at Gretna High, where he attended school when his father was the principal. Later, he was named assistant principal and currently holds that position at Pinecrest High in Moore County.

“I didn’t mean to be in education, but I don’t regret it for a minute,” Scruggs said. An avid golfer, he was on the golf team at Elon with dreams of being the next Tiger Woods. “I had the willpower but not the talent,” he admits.

When golf didn’t pan out, he said, he spent some time as in insurance sales but “not very successful(ly).” But he became involved with Gretna High’s golf team as a coach and when the social studies teacher quit in midyear, he was asked to take over. Scruggs found that he liked teaching.

“I love the atmosphere, dealing with students and teachers,” he said. “I’m a people person.”

Although he said he hates leaving Pinehurst, and all the golf courses, he felt he couldn’t pass up the opportunity at Eastern Randolph.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I want to be sure they have strong academics.”

Scruggs, noting that athletes typically do better academically than non-athletes, said those in sports have “ownership” in their school. \

Getting those not involved in sports, he said, requires “making everybody aware of the programs available, spend(ing) time with at-risk students, talk(ing) to kids and build(ing) relationships.”

Scruggs is married to his wife Jennifer, who works for the Social Security Administration.

        

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