Six women appointed as public school principals

There’s a significant number of female educators in the territory so it came as no surprise when the government appointed six females as principals of public schools across the territory.

Deputy Chief Education Officer (CEO), Orlandette Crabbe, said the appointment of these new principals is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of education in the Virgin Islands.

The new female leaders are:

Ms NaTasha Marshall – Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary
Ms Ashkisha Maduro – Ebenezer Thomas Primary School
Ms Janelle Rhymer – Leonora Delville Primary School
Ms Magdalene Alister – Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre
Ms Akima Powell – Robinson O’Neal Memorial Primary School
Mrs Candice Bolondia-Fraites – Assistant Principal, Enis Adams Primary School.

The Deputy CEO said the appointments are a testament to the ministry’s dedication to reimagining education in the territory.

While congratulating the new principals, the Education Ministry extended thanks to all those who applied for the positions.

Applicants were encouraged to expand their experiences and apply innovative ideas, as this would undoubtedly raise the bar and foster greater transformation in the education sector.

The Education Ministry has been taking bold steps to transform the territory’s education system and attend to the sector’s more immediate needs such as the shortage of teachers, teaching aids, and resources.

As teachers continue to leave the local system for positions in more attractive jurisdictions, the ministry this week announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Teach VI’ initiative, designed to recruit untrained young people for vacant teaching posts across the territory.

The ‘Let’s Teach VI’ initiative offers two pathways in teaching — a teacher trainee and a teacher recruit. The initiative seeks to find and develop high school and college graduates to educate the nation’s children.