McCarty Named Williamsburg Principal

Dr. Ann McCarty was named as principal of Williamsburg Middle School tonight by the Arlington School Board, this comes just months after longtime WMS principal Kathleen Francis  in February.  

“Dr. McCarty is an exceptional leader and educator and has a wealth of experience and knowledge at the middle school level,” said Arlington Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy in the press release. “Principals are key to the instructional leadership of our school division. Their building-level leadership ensures that all of our students get the high level instruction that is expected. They are the mainstay of our effort to stimulate the best from every teacher and support staff member. Dr. McCarty joins a cadre of great principals in the Arlington Public Schools, and we are pleased to welcome her to our community."

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Read the full release below or click here: 

"The Arlington School Board appointed Dr. Ann McCarty as principal of Williamsburg Middle School at tonight’s meeting. McCarty has been the principal at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in the City of Falls Church for the past five years. 

“Dr. McCarty is an exceptional leader and educator and has a wealth of experience and knowledge at the middle school level,” said Arlington Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy. “Principals are key to the instructional leadership of our school division. Their building-level leadership ensures that all of our students get the high level instruction that is expected. They are the mainstay of our effort to stimulate the best from every teacher and support staff member. Dr. McCarty joins a cadre of great principals in the Arlington Public Schools, and we are pleased to welcome her to our community."

Education
McCarty recently received her Doctorate (Ed.D.) in education leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. She received a Master of Arts in educational policy and leadership from the Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Music from Bowling Green State University.

Experience 
McCarty began her teaching career in 1997 as an instrumental music teacher at Rosemont Middle School in Norfolk, Va., and in 1999, she became the vocal and general music teacher and fine arts team lead at Ridgeview Middle School in Columbus, Ohio. 

McCarty became the assistant principal at Crestview Middle School in 2002 where she assisted in overseeing the daily operations of the school, developed and implemented student behavior modification plans and coordinated a project to reduce truancy. She was named acting principal of Monroe Traditional Middle School in Columbus, Ohio, in 2002.

She returned to Virginia in 2005 to become assistant principal at George Mason High School in Falls Church City Public Schools. There, she collaborated with the Arlington Career Center to enhance the career and technical education program and helped increase participation in the program by 20 percent. McCarty also assisted targeting communication about the school’s International Baccalaureate Programme to a broader range of students to ensure greater participation in the program. She also created an in-school mentoring program to provide academic intervention for students.

In 2006 McCarty was named principal of Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School. As principal, McCarty provides instructional leadership and program management. She developed a school improvement plan by setting targeted goals to improve academic achievement. McCarty planned professional development for school staff and worked collaboratively with the central office to coordinate services for at-risk students. She facilitated communication with parents through electronic communications as well as face-to-face communication opportunities, such as coffee discussions and other opportunities for parents to meet and talk. She helped increase parent engagement with the creation of the Parents as Educational Partners Program.

McCarty’s appointment will be effective July 1.

The School Board also appointed seven full-time elementary assistant principals. They include:

• Abingdon Elementary School – Gail Seligson
• Arlington Traditional School – Donna Honeywell
• Ashlawn Elementary School – Shannon Ellis
• Campbell Elementary School – Karen Anselmo
• Glebe Elementary School – Ingrid Clarke
• Henry Elementary School – Annie Frye
• McKinley Elementary School – Jennifer Lindenauer"