The Alleghany County School Board filled two more administrative vacancies for the 2009-2010 school year during its meeting at Alleghany High School on Monday night.  The Board appointed Boiling Spring Elementary School principal Jan Hobbs to serve as the school division’s director of student programs.  It appointed Clifton Middle School assistant principal Sherman Callahan to serve as principal of Sharon Elementary School.

Hobbs will replace Fred Vaughan who was reassigned by the Board on April 6 to serve as principal of Alleghany High School.  Callahan will replace J.R. Simpson, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

In her new role, Hobbs will provide division-wide oversight of a variety of programs, including student health, safety, discipline and attendance, as well as SOL test administration, drop out prevention, graduation rates, home school applications, alternative education, career and technical education, and parental involvement.

“I am excited about a new chapter in my professional life,” Hobbs said.  “I am looking forward to giving it one hundred percent.”

Hobbs, a 30-year veteran educator, taught special education in Clifton Forge City schools from 1979 to 1997.  After serving as a classroom teacher at Callaghan Elementary from 1997 to1999, she served as an assistant principal at Alleghany High School until she moved to Boiling Spring as principal in 2004.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from James Madison University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Radford University.

During Hobbs’ tenure, Boiling Spring maintained its string of eight consecutive years in which it met full state accreditation.  The school also maintained its string of six consecutive years in which it met all federal AYP requirements.

“The faculty and staff have done a terrific job of meeting AYP and full accreditation,” Hobbs said.  “They are a caring staff, always willing to do what is best for students.  I am very proud of the opportunity I have had to get to know the community, students and parents of Boiling Spring.  I have learned a lot from the experience.”

Hobbs’ role as principal at Boiling Spring was filled by the School Board on April 6 when it designated Debbie Farmer to serve as a “shared principal” for both Boiling Spring and Falling Spring elementary schools during the 2009-2010 school year.  The elimination of one building-level principal position resulted from the School Board’s efforts to address declining enrollments and state funding reductions.

Callahan earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in 1995 and his master’s degree in school administration and supervision from Virginia Tech in 2002.  He joined Alleghany County Public Schools as a health and physical education teacher in 1996, and he was named Falling Spring Elementary School’s teacher of the year in 2002.  Callahan was appointed as assistant principal at Clifton Middle School in 2003. 

“I have had wonderful experiences within Alleghany County Public Schools,” Callahan said.  “I am eager to become part of the great tradition that exists at Sharon Elementary School.  This opportunity presents a lifelong goal of mine, and I look forward to working with each member of the Sharon school community.”

Simpson will retire at the end of a distinguished 37-year career which was capped in 2007 by Sharon’s designation as a National Blue Ribbon School.  Sharon also achieved full state accreditation for the past seven years and federal “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) in each of the past five years.

Despite the achievements, Simpson says he takes “most pride in the number of quality individuals that I have met and worked with during my career as a teacher and an administrator.  The support and acceptance that I have received has been greatly appreciated and will never be forgotten.”

Simpson began his career as a teacher at Boiling Spring in 1972.  He later taught at Central Elementary before he moved on to serve as assistant principal and principal at Clifton Forge Elementary.  He was transferred to Sharon in 1999 and has served as principal ever since.

“Sharon Elementary School has been a great place to end my career,” Simpson said.  “I am very thankful for the opportunity I was given to work with a dedicated teaching staff, conscientious students, caring parents, and a strong community.  I will miss all of these things.”