Assistant principals Karyn Shipp and Eric Mapes will be switching faculty positions with each other from PHS and PMS in the upcoming 2013-2014 school year.
Assistant principal Karyn Shipp will become the assistant principal at Piedmont Middle school. Shipp currently manages the PHS master schedule, 504 plans, works as liaison with the special education department and MHS, as well as handles all of assistant principal Anne Dolid’s duties while she is on leave. Shipp’s new job position has very similar duties. However, while PHS has two assistant principals, PMS has one sole assistant principal.
Shipp has worked at PHS for 16 years. At the high school, Shipp has coached soccer, was the athletic director for ten years, and has since then been assistant principal.
Shipp said superintendent Constance Hubbard came to her with the idea of the switch. Shipp, who has never worked at the Middle School, said that she has an interest in expanding her knowledge, and opportunity to work at the middle school will fulfill this interest.
“There are already new administrators,” Shipp said. “Both principals at both sites. I think the switch made sense for that.”
Shipp said that she is excited for something new. She said that going into a new place, she will have fresh points of views and visions.
“Here, where I feel like I know things so well, sometimes it is hard to look at things with a fresh set of eyes,” Shipp said. “So someone will think ‘this has been going well for so well’ where I may think ‘well yeah, but I think this could make it better’, where no one else has thought of it because it has already been going so well. It is just those new ways and perspectives.”
“I am sad to leave here,” Shipp said. “I have loved Piedmont High School. It is my home. But it is also the district, and the district is my home. I just hope I continue to provide support to parents, and students, and faculty members ongoing, just with a new age group.”
“Middle school is a little more structured,” Shipp said. “They are younger. They do not drive yet. They do not have a lot of responsibility yet. There is still a lot more parent involvement. So I think working with kids as they learn to become adults to go into college I will miss, but I will also enjoy the new things I do.”
Shipp said that Mapes will bring a new perspective to the high school.
“He may see where the transition from middle school to high school, where maybe we could do more for the ninth graders or different for the ninth graders,” Shipp said. “And same for me, vice versa, I may be able to find something well. We have always seen struggles with the older kids. I think that for both of us we might be able to bring the two schools together with collaboration because I know the staff here and he knows the staff down there so it might be easier for us to get the two schools connected.”
PMS assistant principal Eric Mapes will be one of assistant principals at the high school next year. Currently at the middle school Mapes is in charge of discipline, online registration, walk through registrations, the Gate program, ASB, and assisting principal Jeanne Donovan.
Mapes said that the current plan is that he will take on the role of what PHS assistant principal Anne Dolid has this school year, while Dolid will take on Shipp’s position.
“That is the plan,” Mapes said, “Mr. Daniels is the boss. If he has a change of heart and wants to do something different, I am fully supportive of the leader of the school.”
Mapes worked as a teacher 15 years, working in Albany, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Beijing. Mapes has taught science, math, third grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and worked as a multicultural professor. PHS will be the first high school Mapes will have worked at.
Because Mapes has worked at the middle school for two years, this upcoming school year he will already know the students of the freshman and sophomore classes.
“I work really closely with Ms. Shipp as well within the last two years, so we will be relying on each other a lot,” Mapes said. “It is a good time for it to happen. I have been wanting to do more at the high school, and she has been wanting to do more at the middle school. Ms. Shipp will bringing down a lot of high school ideas and philosophies, and I will be bringing up a lot of the middle school’s.”
Mapes also said there is going to be a learning curve.
“I appreciate feedback, whether it is positive or constructive,” Mapes said. “I am not afraid to admit my mistakes. Celebrate our successes.”
Mapes said he sees the opportunity as a bridge.
“I think of the middle school as the bridge between elementary school and high school. I am excited to be at that stage, and see kids in adolescence.”
Mapes said he believes that education is a collaboration.
“It is never a bad day when you work at a school,” Mapes said. “I like to have fun. I enjoy what I do. You will see me laughing. My door is always open, I have an open door policy. I do not want people to be afraid when they see me in the hallway.”
