It's a blessing to have caring individuals within your school district that can be promoted.
Arp ISD had the luxury to promote Mrs. Amy Herrell to Arp High School Principal Monday. The Arp ISD School Board approved the hire at its monthly scheduled board meeting.
The promotion fulfills a lifelong professional goal for Herrell who's served as Arp ISD's Assistant Secondary Principal the last two years.
"It is an honor to represent Arp High School, and work with the amazing staff and students on this campus," said Herrell. "Together we will move AHS forward."
She also thanks the school board and superintendent Shannon Arrington for blessing her with the opportunity.
"I am flattered by their confidence, and the support several others have shown through this process."
"Amy Herrell is a wonderful educator," Arrington stated. "We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful person to lead our high school campus."
Herrell had planned to tackle the role of transition coordinator and homebound teacher this coming school year for the special education department's Arp-Troup Shared Service Agreement. But the Arp High School principal opening changed her plans.
She will enter her eleventh school year at Arp ISD.
Herrell taught sixth grade English Language Arts at Arp Junior High for eight years until 2019 before going to Tyler ISD's Clarkston Elementary to teach fifth grade English and social studies. She then became an assistant principal at Laneville ISD for two years prior to returning to Arp, America in 2022.
She then stated that she was, "Over the moon to be returning to Arp to help lead a district that truly puts kids first."
Herrell's teaching philosophy stresses caring for the individual student. "I believe we must love kids first, then we can focus on education."
She had previously said that, "(Her) day is full of opportunities to help students make good choices, and grow into the adults they were meant to become."
A West Virginia native, Herrell graduated from Philip Barbour High School in Philippi, WV in 1992.
She then made her way to Texas and earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies at UT Tyler in 2011. She added a Master of Educational Leadership from Stephen F. Austin University in 2017.