This year Ms. Daphne Williams has succeeded Mr. Daniel Mckenna as Assistant School Administrator (ASA), following his promotion to Assistant Principal. As ASA Williams hopes to explore administrative work and connect with a new group of students. An Assistant School Administrator helps monitor students, engages in community outreach, supervises school activities, and oversees certain departments. Williams has been assigned to the Special Education, Math, Fine Arts, and PE departments. She comes to Poolesville from Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg, where she headed the Special Education Department for nine years. Williams also has experience in teaching all four of the core subjects, though her favorite is math.
Principal Mr. Mark Carothers described Williams as passionate and caring. Special Education Resource Teacher Mrs. Brigette Crossen, who has worked with Williams previously, added that she is a hard worker and “very student-focused.”
In fact, for Williams, having a direct connection with students is essential.
“I need to work in a school,” Williams remarked. “I need to see kids on a regular basis. I need to have interactions with kids in the hallway.”
In addition to her commitment to students, Williams also brings a unique background to the administrative team. For one, she is the only administrator with a background in special education(Mr. Carothers interview). This background made her an easy pick for supervising the Special Education Department(Williams interview). As department supervisor, Williams works closely with Crossen to support the department and problem-solve. Because she has held Crossen’s position in the past, Williams is able to assist her in ways that other administrators could not.
And while Crossen feels very supported by all the administrators at Poolesville, she acknowledges the difficulties of meeting students’ special education needs with often lacking resources and staffing. She also notes that Poolesville’s magnet programs add another layer of complexity to supporting special education students.
“Usually you’re the only one in the building,” Crossen shared. “So it’s a unique thing. And you don’t really get it unless you’ve lived it and [Ms. Williams has] lived it. So she does get it.”
Crossen also believes that Williams’ experience in special education makes her especially aware of academic struggles students face and assistance they may need.
Another aspect of Williams’ experience she contributes to the administrative team is her math background and certification. All of the other administrators have backgrounds in English, so Williams stands out.
But for Williams, this is a plus.
“I love being on a team of folks who don’t necessarily have that math mind right away,” Williams commented. “A lot of problems that we look at, I offer a different perspective.”
Additionally, Williams being the new ASA means that unlike years past, the Math Department now has a supervisor with experience in the field.
Williams’ extensive experience teaching at a middle school also adds to her skillset. It allows her to help freshmen transition effectively from middle to high school and gives her ideas for new activities and strategies that she believes high schoolers may also benefit from.
Williams is currently enjoying learning the ropes as ASA, though adjusting to high school and administration has been a process. She is also learning about fine arts as she takes on her role as supervisor of the department. Every day brings new challenges, but Williams is excited to meet them. She loves the school culture at Poolesville, and described students as “good and kind and honest.”
