AMLE's South Region - 2012

Here are the trustee positions and candidates for your region. Included below is the biographical statement provided by each candidate. Additional candidate information is on the ballot being sent to current members by e-mail on April 5-6, 2012.

President-elect

Mike Muir
Dr. Mike Muir is Multiple Pathways Leader for Auburn (ME) School Department, where he applies his extensive knowledge and lessons learned from middle grades education to the district's large-scale change initiatives. Mike believes that the middle grades is an important, critical time to impact students: their middle grades experience will make or break their success as learners, and that by serving AMLE's membership, he will have the opportunity to help middle schools create those moments that positively influence students. He has worked with educators across the country to implement effective middle grades practices, to use technology as a tool for learning, to motivate underachievers, and to lead effectively for school change. He is widely published on these topics and is well known for presenting at state and national conferences (including at AMLE's). His middle level background includes: former middle grades teacher; teacher educator who helped design the middle grades program; member of Maine's Middle Level Education Commission; past president of MAMLE; member of NMSA's Research Advisory Board; designer and implementer of non-traditional programs for at-risk students; AMLE trustee from 2008-2011. He remains faculty at University of Maine Farmington, and is director of UMF's Maine Center for Meaningful Engaged Learning.

Sue Worthington
Sue Worthington is a retired administrator who has served middle level education for more than 31 years. She worked 31 years for the Gresham-Barlow School District, one of the first districts in Oregon to embrace middle level education. Sue was both a middle school teacher and administrator. She served as the president of the Oregon Middle Level Association, West Region Trustee for NMSA, and served on an Assistant Principal task force for NASSP. In addition, Sue was Oregon Assistant Principal of the Year in 2008. Sue has presented at regional and state conferences and written for publication. Sue is a strong leader and believes that she can make a difference in the goals of AMLE and the education of our youth.

Trustee to Represent Diverse Cultures

Reginald Davenport
Reginald Davenport, Ed.D. is the Assistant Principal of Quibbletown Middle School and Supervisor for World Languages for Piscataway Township Public Schools. Dr. Davenport has served as the Central Regional Director for the NJMSA since June 2010. Dr. Davenport earned his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as a teacher, district supervisor and building administrator for more than 16 years. In 2005, he was named New Jersey Assistant Principal of the Year. Dr. Davenport believes his research on the culturally-relevant beliefs of teachers and the school experience of diverse student populations, will allow him to be a valuable asset in promoting AMLE's mission in improving the educational experiences of young adolescents.

Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson currently serves as a principal in Memphis City Schools in Tennessee. He has worked in Middle Level Education for a total of ten years. Reggie has served as a middle level teacher and administrator. Reggie has been an active advocate for Middle Level reform efforts and has served as a respected board member for the AMLE for two years. During the 2010-2011 school year, Reggie was honored to receive the West Tennessee Principal of the Year Award from the Tennessee Association of Middle Schools. In addition, Reggie has presented at several regional and national conferences. Reggie is very knowledgeable of Middle School Reform efforts. Reggie received additional education from the Center of Urban School Leadership at the University of Memphis which he feels has heightened his awareness of the plethora of diverse issues which impact all components of Middle Level Education. Reggie is confident that he brings an experienced and insightful voice to the AMLE Board and would love to continue to serve in that capacity. Ultimately, Reggie's driven passion is directly linked to his understanding of wide array of needs of our Middle Level Students.

South Region Trustee

James Botts
James Botts is the Curriculum Resource Administrator at East Jessamine Middle School in Nicholasville, Kentucky. He has spent his entire 15 year career at East Middle. He has been a Social Studies teacher, team leader, school council member, content area lead teacher, basketball coach and soccer coach. James presented at several national, state and local level middle school and content area conferences. Most recently, James presented at the AMLE national conference in Louisville. James has been an advocate for middle level education and feels that he could continue to be an advocate for the South region.

Derek Tully
Dr. Derek Tully is President of the Bermuda Middle School Association. He is Director of Staff Development at the Bermuda Center for the Study of Learning and Teaching Styles. He has presented regularly at NMSA conferences and at the AMLE conference held recently in Louisville, Kentucky. For his services to Education and the Community he was awarded the Queen's Certificate and Badge of Honor in Her Majesty the Queen's New Year's Honors List in 2000 and is also a recipient of the Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellowship for Services to Education in Bermuda. He wishes to be part of the AMLE team which develops the "middle level experience" in every region.