[CharterSchools] Alexina Medley, Decade-long Principal/CEO of Warren Easton Charter High School, to Retire

[charterschools at LACharter.org]

January 30, 2018                     
 
Contact: Heather Harper (504) 289-0499 or hharper at h2nola.net
 
Alexina Medley, Decade-longPrincipal/CEO of 
Warren Easton Charter High School, toRetire
 
            AlexinaMedley, education leader, charter advocate and much-loved Principal/CEO ofWarren Easton Charter High School, is retiring after a 12-year tenure as headof the “A” rated high school, one of the first high schools in New Orleans toopen for families after the 2005 hurricanes and levee failures.  
With over 40 years working ineducation as a Special Education teacher and administrator, Mrs. Medley willleave a lasting impression on Warren Easton, her beloved students and staff,and Louisiana charter schools.  


        She served as President of theGreater New Orleans Collaborative from 2014-16, and was a previous GNOCCS boardmember, helping other public schools reopen and rebuild while the New OrleansPublic School System was shuttered or recovering.
Warren Easton, the oldest publichigh school in the state, re-opened in September 2006 after Katrina under thenew leadership of Ms. Medley. Nearly 95 percent of Easton’s student population losttheir homes and Easton sustained five feet of water that remained in the schoolbuilding, filling it with mold. Ms. Medley worked tirelessly with the EastonAlumni Association, teachers, administrators, students and parents to reopenWarren Easton as an open-admissions, public charter high school and an anchorin the Mid-City community.
Under her guidance, Warren Easton washas continuously improved its test scores and graduation rates while decreasingdrop-outs. Her reputation as a compassionate, tough and generous leader isproven in the retention of her dedicated staff, said GNOCCS Director KenDucote.
"Working for Mrs. Medley atWarren Easton was an amazing experience for me,” said Alnita W. Porea,Principal, Mary D. Coghill Elementary.  "Ms. Medley allowed me timeto rediscover who I was as an educator. She was so poised and gave me exactlywhat I needed to step out and be a leader. I am thankful for my time with herand my Easton memories. She is an amazing educator and mentor."
Ms. Medley says her philosophy hasalways been “to teach the kids we have; not those we would like to have, orthose we used to have…but those we have right now. ALL of them.”
As proof of her incomparable energyand experience, her duties will be divided into three positions.  Warren Easton Charter Board President DavidGarland said, “We are thankful for the legacy Mrs. Medley has achieved atEaston. She has been a tireless, irreplaceable leader and will be greatlymissed. However, she leaves the school in the excellent hands of a team trainedby her, and we will carry on as Warren Easton always does.”
Although Medley’s last day isJanuary 30, she will still be available to the school to help with thetransition for the remainder of the academic year.
A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Ms. Medleybegan her career as a Special Education teacher at Beauregard Junior High. Shefirst came to work at Easton 31 years ago as a teacher and she became anassistant principal in 1995 before leaving to take over as principal at ThurgoodMarshall School. She worked at the Orleans School System’s Central Office,where she headed the High School Reform Program. 
Ms. Medley received a Bachelor ofArts from Xavier University, and while at Xavier completed a Masters ofEducation with a major in Educational Administration and Supervision. She is certifiedas Principal, Supervisor of Student Teaching, and Secondary Special Education. 
She is a member of Phi Delta Kappa,Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, the Association for Supervision and CurriculumDevelopment and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.  She is currently a fellow with the School LeadershipCenter of New Orleans and serves on numerous public education boards andcommittees.


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If you would like a copy of this photo as an attachment, please email hharper at h2nola.net


 





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