The 2022-2023 school year brings four new administration team members: Principal Jesse Casey, associate principal Tiffany Best, assistant principal of instruction Alicia Curtis and assistant principal Jeriel Champion join the only returning member of administration, assistant principal Brandon Patterson.
Alicia Curtis, Assistant Principal
Alicia Curtis has two main goals this year.
“I want everybody to feel connected and that they’re welcome at school,” Curtis said. “My second [goal] is I really want to see students be successful in whatever path they choose for themselves.”
Curtis also serves as the new IEP support for all grades, as part of an individualized education program for students to achieve more advanced classes.
“There’s still room that we can be more inclusive in our high-level classes [at East],” Curtis said. “[I want to] make East a place where everybody feels like they have access to more challenges.”
Though more challenging classes provide educational benefits for many students, Curtis emphasized that mental health is a priority this year.
“[There are many factors] that can be debilitating to the mental health of students in a classroom, especially in a high stakes setting,” Curtis said.
Curtis seeks to bring a more student-focused perspective to the administration this year.
“You’re the reason we’re here,” Curtis said. “So [we want to] make sure that we keep each decision student focused and do the best thing for students.”
Tiffany Best, Associate Principal
Tiffany Best is the kind of person who takes at least one hour every day for herself. She believes for students, study time is important, but emotional well-being is an area that East needs to work on.
Her roles include: oversee and strengthen MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support), PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Systems), Social Emotional Learning, Discipline, and Attendance.
Best loves challenges and new experiences, so she would not stay in one job for too long. That’s why she came to East.
“I miss being with my students. [Students] provide me with youthfulness and keep me abreast of what’s going on,” Best said. “And so I just needed something refreshing, something new.”
By emotionally connecting with students, Best wants to provide students with whatever they need.
“I am the one that’s helping to take care of our students mentally because East is challenging. So that can be emotionally draining sometimes just to make sure that our students are emotionally well,” Best said. “And that when they leave the school, they don’t feel stressed out, they don’t feel overwhelmed, but they feel like they have the support in the school to be successful.”
This year, Best and the new administration team want to bring to East something newer, more refreshing and with more school spirit.
“I want to bring to the atmosphere celebrations, bringing the joy of celebration,” Best said. “Celebrating our successes and providing an opportunity for students to feel like they can have a little bit of fun.”
Jeriel Champion, Assistant Principal
Jeriel Champion used to work at Henrico High School in Virginia, where she was a math teacher, curriculum writer and administrator.
“When I looked at all the great things you were doing here, [it] made me excited to come and meet all the students,” Champion said.
Even though it’s Champion’s first year, she has a lot of energy and ideas to enhance school spirit. She wants to be part of the culture at East to support students.
“I think it would be cool if during one of the lunches, we have music out there. Just to make it a little more festive,” Champion said.
She wants to be a part of the culture in order to help the students. She was one of the most important organizers of October’s Homecoming and Spirit Week.
“Hopefully [this year will] be better because of the new team that’s here,” Champion said. “We depend on what you guys want. That’s why we’ve been asking for you guys’ feedback so we can make this your school, because it is.”
Photos courtesy of ECHHS
