Junior high English/language arts teacher Sherita Thomas was named the Watson Chapel School District Teacher of the Year at Monday’s district board meeting.
As a result, Thomas has been chosen to be considered for state Teacher of the Year. Thomas also named Watson Chapel Junior High’s teacher for the second year in a row.
Superintendent Keith McGee credited Thomas with helping her students achieve a student growth score of 80 or higher over a three-year average, qualifying her for Merit Pay from the Arkansas Department of Education for three years in a row.
“This person, this educator, is exceptional, who genuinely cares about every student she serves,” McGee said in announcing Thomas as the winner. “She maintains high expectations while providing the support and encouragement necessary to achieve at an elevated level. Her classroom reflects strong instructional practices, meaningful student engagement and a commitment to academic growth.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Thomas was overcome with emotion following the announcement.
Other campus teachers of the year include Anna Miller of Edgewood Elementary; Tremekia Briggs of Coleman Elementary and Mitzy Allen of Watson Chapel High School. The campus teachers of the year will receive their trophies at the district’s Night of Honors later in the school year.
D.J. Vincent will take over as Watson Chapel High’s new principal for the 2026-27 school year, replacing Jeffrey Neal.
Vincent is presently principal at Drew Central Middle School in Monticello. He will succeed Jeffrey Neal, whom McGee said did not reapply to retain his position. Neal recently was elected to the Pine Bluff City Council and will be sworn in Jan. 1.
“When I talked to his superintendent at Drew Central today, she said, ‘You’re going to get somebody who’s data-centered, who knows good systems and who has done a great job of being able to support good teachers and support schools on turnaround,'” McGee said. Vincent is credited with turning around student behavior and elevating the school’s letter grade from a low D to a high C.
IN OTHER DISTRICT BUSINESS
Board members elected Rosemary White as their president, succeeding Mack Milner. White has served on the board since November 2022. The board voted to use contingency funds to complete an Alumni Park in front of the new Watson Chapel High School. The final price for the park, which features historic stone markers from past graduating classes and will be used for community gatherings tied to school events, is $580,000, according to representatives from Baldwin & Shell Construction Co.
Contingency funds are part of the money the district has allocated toward construction and are usually brought back to the district by the construction company if not used, McGee explained. He wasn’t sure how much the WCSD would have in contingency funds, but the final price was $20,000 less than what engineers originally estimated.
The date of substantial completion for the new high school has been moved from March 25 to April 18. Baldwin & Shell cited 24 days of “documented adverse weather” for the change. The WCSD agreed to a services contract with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which will provide a full-time certified athletic trainer to deliver up to 40 hours per week of on-site athletic training for the 2026-27 school year. The new deal will cost the district $30,000.
TEACHER FIRED
The WCSD board voted unanimously to fire junior high special education paraprofessional Kendra Greer.
Junior high Principal Jeremy Vincent recommended Greer’s termination to McGee, stating she had “chased a student down the hallway, grabbed him by the neck and straddled him while he was on the floor.” Greer was accused of violating Section 8.45 under the district Classified Personnel Code of Conduct and the Standard 1 Code of Ethics.
During an open hearing toward the end of the board meeting, Greer told the board she asked a student multiple times to leave a classroom she was covering for but the student acted out in a disrespectful manner.
“When I caught up to him, he resisted, and he went to the ground while I remained over him to prevent him from getting away,” she wrote in a statement to the board. “I held him briefly and told him that his behavior was not acceptable.”
Greer said she went to retrieve a bracelet from another student who went to the gym along with the one she had just dealt with. Greer said another staff member intervened and removed the first student from the situation.
Greer told the board she was never going to physically attack the student, with whom she said she had no previous disciplinary issues, but only talk with him about his actions. Many of Greer’s coworkers and another student defended her in their witness statements to the board. Greer turned away from the podium fighting back tears during one of the statements as the student hugged her.
PERSONNEL MOVES
In addition to welcoming D.J. Vincent as high school principal, the district approved the hires and promotions of Tashiba Banks to director of special education; Marcus Bishop as executive administration assistant; Phyllis Cage as Edgewood Elementary principal from an interim role; Reginald Forte as a junior high principal from Coleman Elementary interim principal; Phaedra Gipson as secretary; Cameron McCann to director of daily operations; and Cachet Rayford as Coleman principal.
Elementary counselor Julie Taylor turned in her letter of retirement, and T’aja Williams resigned, effective immediately.