NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk Public Schools have a new interim superintendent.
Dr. Sharon Byrdsong is stepping in after Dr. Melinda Boone announced her resignation a couple of weeks ago.
Boone was with the district for three years.
Brydsong is excited to take on the position and hopes to bring stability to the district during this time because she’s a familiar face.
“I can’t imagine being any place else,” she said.
Brydsong has 28 years of education experience. 21 of them with NPS, where she started as a classroom teacher.
Over the next two decades, she has held a number of positions ranging from teacher to school principal to her most recent position as Executive Director of Interagency Collaboration and Wraparound Services .
“I think it will help me better to empathize with our teachers and building principals because I’ve been there and I’ve done it. I have a deep understanding of what the work looks like for them,” Brydsong said.
The interim superintendent says it is important that staff and other stakeholders feel the district is moving in the right direction.
Brydsong has already met with building principals, who she says spoke about safety and staffing needs at their schools.
She says they’re working to make sure all their students get a quality education.
“I know that 61 percent of schools are fully accredited. That’s something we want to increase. That’s our report card for the community and we want the community to have confidence in us,” Brydsong said.
She also hopes to get parent and community engagement up. The Norfolk Council of PTA is hold pop-up events for parents, according to Brydsong, who is also planning “Listening and Learning” meetings at the five city high schools.
The community will be invited to talk about positives, concerns, and questions about the district.
Those meetings will be held over the next couple of months.
Byrdsong says she can not do this job and push the district forward alone. She’s counting on the community and the teachers, who are the backbone of the district, to help.
“We’re committed to moving forward in the name of our children because they deserve our very best efforts everyday,” she said.
