by Shawn Nowlin
When many think of a public-school principal, what usually comes to mind is a middle-aged white man. Nationwide, approximately 43 percent of public-school principals fit that description.
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, just 11 percent of public-school principals in America are Black. In Roanoke, seven of the 24 institutions that comprise the Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) Division currently have a Black principal.
They are Jonathan Rosser (Lucy Addison Middle), Kirsten Mills (Lincoln Terrace Elementary), Kristen English (Westside Elementary), Kurrai Thompson (Fairview Elementary), Sauntasha Austin (Noel C. Taylor), Toni Belton (Roanoke Academy) and Tracey Anderson (William Fleming High).
A Roanoke product, Rosser graduated from William Fleming in 1995. In addition to earning a PhD from Regent University, he also earned a master’s from Hollins University and an education specialist degree from the University of Virginia.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as an elementary special education teacher, a third-grade teacher, a principal and later an assistant superintendent for Roanoke City Public Schools,” Rosser previously told the Roanoke Tribune. “I have a true passion for helping the youth reach their full potential.”
Another product of Roanoke City Public Schools, Mills earned a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University before completing graduate studies in PK-12 Administration from Liberty University.
Before becoming Lincoln Terrace’s principal, she served as its assistant principal for two years.
“My vision for Lincoln Terrace is student-centered. Early literacy and high-quality instruction will be our driving force,” Mills said. “As the school principal, I am ultimately responsible for the learning, safety and growth of our students and teachers.”
Last year, English earned the RCPS Principal of the Year Award.
“Your enthusiasm for learning, shared commitment to academic excellence and support of the work we do daily for our little Eagles are the driving forces behind everything we do here at Westside Elementary School,” she wrote in a letter to parents at the start of the year.
A dedicated Roanoke educator since 1994, Thompson has been the principal at Fairview Elementary for the last three years.
“It is our goal to implement the strategies in our division’s strategic plan, The Roadmap to Student Success,” she said. “We will develop the talents and abilities, a love of learning and great character in students through effective, high-quality instruction that meets the needs of all our students in a safe, inclusive learning environment.”
Before Noel C. Taylor, Austin served as a high school English and communication skills teacher in Cumberland County Schools; school administrator and assistant principal in Cumberland County Schools, Hoke County Schools and Roanoke City School District; and adjunct faculty at Fayetteville State University and Liberty University.
A Roanoke native, Belton is a proud William Fleming graduate. After earning her diploma, it was off to Virginia Union University in Richmond. In 2002, after raising her family in Northern Virginia for years, she was hired as Roanoke Academy’s principal.
“I feel I am needed here at Roanoke Academy. I felt I could make a difference coming back here. Since I grew up in Roanoke, these are my people. My mom lived right around the corner. This is home,” she previously told the Roanoke Tribune.
Since July 2021, Anderson, a Virginia Tech graduate, has served as Fleming’s principal.
“It is an honor to be a principal. I have great expectations for what is to come and know that students will represent with Colonel
Pride,” Anderson said to parents last August. “The staff and I are excited about this school year, and we are committed to providing highly effective instruction engaging all learners in a safe environment.”
At a time when the federal government is taking intentional actions to erase Black history, many feel that minority administrators in education are needed now more than ever.
