On Wednesday, August 1, 2012, the School Board approved an appointment for Deputy Superintendent for Operations and School Leadership Development. L’Tanya Simmons, Ed.D., comes to Norfolk from Alexandria, Va. She serves as the Chief Education Officer, Collaborative Learning, at The Center for College & Career Readiness.
"Dr. Simmons brings a tremendous amount of expertise, particularly in the areas of educational assessment, technology for assessment and accountability, and aligning fiscal and operational support toward educational goals," said Dr. Samuel T. King, Superintendent of Schools.
Dr. Simmons has served as a teacher, federal programs director, staff development director and central office supervisor for Brunswick County Schools in North Carolina; an elementary school principal in Atlanta; and Chief of Accountability, Research and Evaluation for Baltimore City Public Schools. Following those experiences, she spent 17 years in executive leadership roles with corporations that provide educational technology systems and expertise at the national level, with a critical focus in urban school districts. Prior to joining The Center for College & Career Readiness, for example, she was National Director of Education with BDM; Senior Vice President/Officer for BTG; Senior Director for Education and Technology with Government Micro Resources Corporation; and Senior Vice President for Educational Accountability with Vantage Learning Corporation.
While with BTG, Dr. Simmons won and successfully implemented Virginia's RFP to deliver the first high-stakes, online SOL assessment through the Virginia Department of Education, with implementation on time and under cost.
"I endorse and embrace Dr. King's philosophy," Dr. Simmons said. "Dr. King and I have been educational partners for many years."
Dr. Simmons worked with Dr. King's leadership team in Georgia to manage the transition to the nation's Common Core standards, which, like Virginia's Standards of Learning, are aimed at preparing students for college and career readiness. Dr. Simmons focused on ensuring that instruction could be delivered with a level of rigor required for students to demonstrate proficiency for college and career readiness.
Also on Wednesday, the School Board approved a new principal for Granby Elementary School. Mr. Rohan Cumberbatch-Smith, who has been with Norfolk Public Schools since 2001 as a teacher, instructional specialist and assistant principal, will lead Granby Elementary. Mr. Cumberbatch-Smith most recently was assigned as AP at Jacox Elementary. He also has experience as a special education teacher Queens, New York.
Mr. Cumberbatch-Smith joins other personnel appointed to new principalships this summer, including Karen Berg at Maury High School, David Faircloth at Larrymore Elementary, Dr. Mark Makovec at Northside Middle School, Margarietta Stallings at Lafayette-Winona Middle, Julie Honeycutt at Willard Elementary, June Lightfoot at Willoughby Elementary, and Dr. Veleka Gatling at Campostella Elementary.
