New Principal Announced For Williams Middle School

Dr. Kendra Green has been named principal at Williams Middle School. She was approved by the Florence 1 Schools Board of Trustees at the May 20th board meeting.

Green, who currently serves as an assistant principal at West Florence High School, has more than 20 years of experience in education. She holds a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina and a Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University, graduating with honors from both universities.

“Education is my passion and I am excited about having a broader impact on students as principal at Williams Middle School,” Green said. “The middle years are really pivotal years.”

While at West Florence, Green coordinated the Highway to Higher Education Academy (HHEA) dropout prevention program, earning certification as a National Dropout Prevention Specialist.

“When the opportunity presented itself to coordinate a dropout prevention program at West Florence High School, I did not hesitate because I knew I was prepared for the challenge,” Green said. “I culminated the data from that program over the course of three years, and I did a field study project with the National Dropout Prevention Center. My doctoral dissertation reviews literature on research proven dropout prevention strategies so my passion for keeping students on track for graduation goes far beyond the program at West Florence.”

Green said that she is eager to bring her experience to Williams because she knows how important the middle school years are in a student’s education and overall development.

“There seems to be a lot of focus on dropout prevention at the high school level but we need to shift our focus to include the middle school,” Green said. “If you can reach those students during the middle years and start building the skills they need and pointing them in the right direction, it makes a huge impact.”

Teachers play a key role in the development of students, Green said, and she is looking forward to providing the leadership and professional development opportunities they need to help them take their students to the next academic level. Dr. Green is eager to join the leadership team at Williams Middle School and begin developing plans to assist students as they transition from a virtual to face-to-face learning environment for the 2021-2022 school year.

“My goals are to create a shared vision for our school, to increase student achievement and to improve the overall culture and climate of the Williams Middle School community,” Green said. “The culmination of my experiences has prepared me to lead in this capacity. I am confident that I will have a positive impact on the students at Williams Middle School. I am excited and humbled by this opportunity.”

Gregory Hall, assistant superintendent of secondary education, said he believes Green was a wonderful choice to lead Williams.

“I'm excited to have Dr. Green as the new principal of Williams Middle School,” Hall said. “She has the knowledge and skills to successfully and effectively lead Williams Middle School.