T.C. Williams High School Gets a New Principal

PHOTO: Jesse Dingle; photo courtesy of ACPS

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Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Alvin L. Crawley has announced the appointment of Jesse Dingle, Ed.D., an experienced educator with a reputation for attaining the best possible outcome for his students, as the new principal of T.C. Williams High School.

Dingle will replace Principal Suzanne Maxey, who capped a career in education as principal for the past five years of T.C. Williams before announcing her retirement in February.

Dingle, 53, currently serving as a high school principal in the Winchester City School District, is experienced at leading schools to full accreditation by implementing remediation and enrichment programs during the school day, according to a news release from ACPS. His focus is to support all students, especially those who struggle academically and those who need greater challenges, ACPS noted.

His last day as principal of Handley High School will be June 30, according to a report by the Winchester Star. In his new position at T.C., Dingle will earn $155,000 per year, ACPS told the newspaper.

“I want to meet the learning needs of what is an incredibly unique and diverse population,” Dingle said in the ACPS news release. “I intend to do this by getting to know the school community and understanding where the needs are and what the needs are and working together with staff, faculty and community to make things happen.”

Dingle comes from a school where the student population of 1,173 is 24 percent Hispanic, 12 percent black and 57 percent white. At T.C. Williams, the demographic breakdown of the student population of 3,473 is 34 percent black, 38 percent Hispanic and 21 percent white.

Dingle has experience in developing long-term strategies for enhancing professional development of teachers in school districts, according to ACPS. He also has experience in creating and implementing effective School Improvement Plans, increasing graduation rates and turning schools into state-recognized Schools of Excellence, ACPS noted.

“We have found a wonderful new principal for T.C. Williams who will be a strong addition to our leadership team and build on the good work that has led to many successes at T.C. Williams,” Crawley said. “Dr. Dingle brings sound leadership qualities and a genuine passion for helping students, teachers and staff be the very best they can be. We are delighted to welcome him to ACPS.”

Dingle, who will assume his new post on July 1, said that when he first read about the opening at T.C. Williams he was genuinely excited and felt like this was the type of school he wanted to lead, ACPS noted.

“Throughout my educational career, I have always sought out opportunities that would allow me to grow as a person, as a professional and as a fellow educational colleague. I have also intentionally sought out culturally, racially and ethnically diverse settings, like T.C. Williams,” Dingle said.

ACPS said he believes that his past experiences, as a teacher for 11 years, a principal of two elementary schools in Raleigh, N.C., and a middle school principal in Apex, N.C., have helped him develop the necessary skills, talents and aptitude to lead a school such as T.C. Williams. He was also principal of Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, N.C., before leading John Handley High School in Winchester.

Dingle spent three weeks in Japan as a Fulbright Memorial Scholar, two weeks in South Korea on a Korean Workshop Award in 2008 and was part of the Brazil Exchange Program in 2011. He also currently sits on the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Shenandoah Valley and the Shenandoah Valley Boy Scouts of America. He has sung in community choirs in Winchester and Reston.

Dingle completed his doctorate at the North Carolina State University in 2005, becoming the first person in his family to achieve this level of education, ACPS said. His doctoral thesis was on cultural competency training for pre-service teachers of all races and ethnicities, according to ACPS.

“I set high expectations for myself as well as those around me,” Dingle said. “I believe my role in helping others exceed their expectations is to be a bedrock of support; a servant leader. It is this attitude and work ethic I will bring to T.C. Williams.”

As director of Talent Management and Development for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, he was a pioneer for the development of a statewide teacher evaluation process. He helped North Carolina become one of the first states to base teacher effectiveness and evaluation on teaching standards, a system that is now regularly used in many states across the United States, ACPS noted.

“I am dedicated to empowering people. Over the years I have come to understand, appreciate and embody the philosophy of the Chinese poet Lao Tzu that a leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. This is the type of leader I strive to be. This is what I can bring to T.C. Williams,” Dingle said.