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Board names new principal, assistant for Blue Ridge
By Lynn Hotaling
Local school officials last week (June 28) named three new administrators, including a new administrative team for the county’s smallest school.
Taking over as principal at southern Jackson County’s K-12 Blue Ridge School will be a veteran educator from Connecticut, Carol Rector. She will begin her new job July 15. Blue Ridge’s new assistant principal, Gary Safrit, a former principal in eastern North Carolina, has been on the job since July 1.
The third administrator chosen last week is Tinnie Salzano, who will move from the county’s largest school, Smoky Mountain High, to the Central Office to become countywide coordinator of secondary curriculum.
Rector, who is currently director of curriculum and professional development for School District 14 in Woodbury, Conn., has spent most of her career in Connecticut. She was principal of Watertown (Conn.) High from 1994-98 and principal of Swift Junior High School, also in Watertown, from 1991 through 1994. She served as assistant principal at Watertown from 1986-91.
A teacher since 1965, Rector earned her bachelor’s degree that year from Central Connecticut State University and her master’s from CCSU in 1972. She added her six-year administration and supervision certification from Southern Connecticut State University in 1986.
Rector said she and her husband had vacationed in Western North Carolina for a number of years and thought they’d like to settle in the area. They bought property in Travelers Rest, S.C., several years ago, and she said her initial plan was to live in Travelers Rest while working at Blue Ridge; however, she said during a Tuesday telephone interview that Travelers Rest may be too far from the school. If that proves to be the case, they’ll move closer, she said.
While her official starting date at Blue Ridge is July 15, Rector said she’ll finish up obligations at her current job this week and hopes to be at Blue Ridge next week.
“I want to get there as soon as possible and get acclimated,” she said.
Blue Ridge will be a contrast from her last principalship, the 950-student Watertown High.
“I’ve taught in smaller schools,” she said. “My husband and I taught in K-12 school in Iceland that was a similar size to Blue Ridge, and we really enjoyed it.
“It was more of a family setting. That’s what I see at (Blue Ridge) – a close-knit kind of family,” Rector said.
Rector said she is looking forward to being at Blue Ridge.
“I am excited. I’m so looking forward to coming to North Carolina and working at Blue Ridge,” she said. “I think it will be a really wonderful experience. I’m looking forward to meeting the teachers and parents – I’ve seen the outside of the school, and it’s an inviting school in a pretty location.
“Everyone I met on the interview committee and at the Central Office was delightful and very welcoming,” Rector said. “I’m looking forward to being there next week.”
School system finance officer David Steinbicker said Rector’s salary would be $72,408, all paid from state funds, assuming she is given credit for all her years of experience.
Safrit, Blue Ridge’s assistant principal, recently retired as principal of South Edgecombe Middle School and was principal at South Edgecombe High for four years prior to taking the helm of the middle school.
He and his wife decided to make the move to Jackson County after she was offered a job as administrator at Skyland Care Center.
“I had not planned on retiring - I was going to see what jobs were available,” Safrit said Tuesday, “With this position, I can work and still draw retirement.”
Safrit, who said he and his wife had always wanted to “retire to the mountains,” described himself as “fortunate” to secure his job at Blue Ridge.
Much of Safrit’s educational career was spent teaching and coaching at West Rowan High School, where he was head baseball coach, girls basketball coach and an assistant football coach.
Though his undergraduate degree is in physical education, Safrit said his coaching days are over.
“I’ll turn that over to the younger generation,” he said.
Safrit said he’s been impressed by his new school.
“It’s a really nice school, a good facility, and it’s a beautiful drive every day,” said Safrit, who lives in Canada community. “Everyone has been very receptive and welcoming. From (Superintendent Sue) Nations right on down, everyone has been helpful and friendly; I already feel at home.”
While he’s never have worked in a school as small as Blue Ridge or one that was K-12, Safrit said he has experience teaching all ages of children.
“The difference will be that I’ve never worked with K-12 students on the same campus,” he said. “I enjoy working with all grade levels; the challenge will be changing gears between working with a high school senior and a first-grader.”
Safrit earned his bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in 1971, his master’s in counseling from N.C. A&T in 1985, and his master’s in administration from A&T in 1988.
Steinbicker initially listed Safrit’s 12-month salary at $62,952, of which $52,460 would be state funds and $10,416 local funds; however, Steinbicker said Tuesday that those numbers would change if Safrit had decided to retire and work under a split contract.
Safrit and his wife, Judy, have three grown children and five grandchildren who all live in the Salisbury area.
Salzano, who has filled various positions at SMHS for almost a decade, will complete Nations’ Central Office administrative team as secondary curriculum coordinator.
“I’m very excited,” Salzano said last week. “I loved being back in the classroom this past year, but I found that it was easier to do things that affected the larger population when I was an administrator.
“I wanted to return to the classroom, but I missed the opportunity to do things schoolwide,” Salzano said. “I’m looking forward to doing positive things for both high schools in my new job.”
Salzano also said she likes Nations’ team approach.
“I think she wants to promote a team atmosphere,” she said.
Salzano earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master’s in supervision with a concentration in curriculum and instruction from Western Carolina University. During her nine years at SMHS, she taught honors English and drama, was the countywide AIG coordinator and served as assistant principal for two years before returning to the classroom during the 2003-04 school year.
Her 12-month salary will be $53,748, with $44,790 coming from state funds and $8,958 paid from local funds.
In other personnel action June 28:
Board members approved the employment of:
– Teresa Robinson, first-grade teacher; Brandi Stephenson, exceptional children’s teacher; Angela Jeffery, middle grade language arts/social studies teacher; Samuel Gray, middle grades math/social studies teacher; and Traci Shell, fourth-grade teacher, all at Cullowhee Valley.
– Michael Lybarger, ECP teacher, Comprehensive School (The Hub).
– Michelle Massingale, fifth-grade teacher, Fairview.
– Vincen Bradley, middle grades social studies teacher, Scotts Creek.
–Bridgette Pasetti, ECP teacher, SMHS.
– Mindy Connor, office support, Central Office.
Board members accepted resignations from: Katie Hoyle, music/drama teacher, Blue Ridge; Sharon Conlin, Title I teacher, Cullowhee; Sarah Wilson, fourth-grade teacher, Smokey Mountain Elementary; and Eric Mrozkowski, band director, SMHS.
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