Veteran Fulton County Schools educator Dr. Anthony Newbold has been named principal of the South Fulton STEM School. Approved at the school board’s December 12 meeting, Dr. Newbold was selected for his success leading schools with STEM-related curricula.
Currently principal of Centennial High School, Dr. Newbold will assume his new role in January and will focus on preparing the school, staff and prospective students for its August 2021 opening. Aaron Moore, a retired DeKalb County principal with school leadership experience in Fulton County Schools, will serve as interim principal while the school district launches its process for selecting a new leader.
Superintendent Mike Looney noted that Dr. Newbold’s years of leadership and teaching experience, particularly in STEM environments, made him the ideal candidate for principal.
“Dr. Newbold has the right mindset for cultivating a school environment that encourages students to take risks and think differently,” Dr. Looney said. “This will be a demanding academic environment that prepares students to enter college or the workforce with skills in high-tech, high-demand STEM fields.”
School Board President Linda Bryant agreed.
“Our STEM schools will deliver an educational experience that is engaging, rigorous and challenging,” she said. “Dr. Newbold will set high academic standards for students and staff, but his leadership also will provide the support to reach them.”
One of Dr. Newbold’s top résumé credits is his forward-thinking work with educational technology and his partnership with Microsoft. Bear Creek Middle School, where he served as principal before moving to Centennial, received a Microsoft Showcase School designation under his leadership. Internationally, less than 500 schools have received that honor. He also is a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE), a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE), a Surface Expert, and has been a featured speaker at multiple Microsoft events as well as a keynote speaker at Microsoft’s “Learn What’s Next” 2017 conference in New York City.
Dr. Newbold became principal of Centennial High School in 2018 after serving four years as principal of Bear Creek Middle School and five years as an assistant principal at Langston Hughes High School. He also served two years as an assistant administrator at Creekside High School and eight years as a classroom teacher at Bear Creek and McNair middle schools as well as at schools in California and New Jersey. He graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and holds a master’s degree in Education/Administration from St. Peter’s University and an education doctoral degree from Walden University.
In the coming months, Dr. Newbold will hold a public “meet and greet” and work with committees to select the school’s official name and determine its academic programming. He will recruit corporate, community and higher education partners to provide support to the school as well as begin hiring teacher leaders and other key positions and administrative staff. This spring, recruitment will begin for the school’s inaugural student body, with the application window formally opening next fall.
The South Fulton STEM School is one of two STEM-focused schools under construction in Fulton County. In August 2021, this school and Innovation Academy in Alpharetta will welcome students for their inaugural school year. Both will offer high-tech, high-demand college- and career-focused courses that incorporate design thinking with an integrated curriculum. Partnerships, such as those with Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), will enhance the curriculum, and there will be extensive opportunities to engage with corporate, community, and higher education partners through projects, presentations, and internships.
The yet-to-be named South Fulton STEM School is being built adjacent to Campbell Elementary School in Fairburn while the other school, Innovation Academy, is under construction in Alpharetta. Both schools are being built through SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), the one-penny education sales tax that funds new school construction, additions and renovations, technology innovations, safety improvements, and transportation upgrades.
Photo Credit: NCCE