Board Names New Principal for South Forsyth HS
The Forsyth County Board of Education named Dr. Jason Branch new principal of South Forsyth HS during their meeting on February 14. Dr. Branch will replace South's current principal, Dr. Gary Davison, for the 2008-09 school year. Davison was previously appointed by the Board to the position of Principal on Special Assignment for the 2008-09 school year preparing to open Lambert HS, where he will serve as principal in 2009-10.
For the past two years, Dr. Branch has served as principal of Chapel Hill High School in Douglas County, Georgia. During his tenure at Chapel Hill, Dr. Branch has led an increased effort to improve SAT scores through the expansion of core electives, an increased focus on academic rigor, and the expansion of advanced placement classes. Dr. Branch has also worked to improve the success rate of at-risk students in terms of grade point average and high school completion through the development of school based mentoring programs and targeted instructional initiatives. Under his leadership, Chapel Hill High School has increased advanced placement offerings by 50%, decreased student disciplinary incidents, improved overall student academic achievement, and won three state championships, while managing a growing student and teacher population.
Despite his many accomplishments at Chapel Hill HS, Dr. Branch says he is thrilled to be named principal of South Forsyth HS.
“I am honored to be a part of the Forsyth County School System family. It is my firm belief that this is the best system in the state of Georgia and has the potential to be one of the best in the nation," said Dr. Branch. "I am encouraged by my research of South Forsyth High School and the excellent leadership, teaching staff and student body that are currently in place. It will be my goal to carry on the outstanding tradition of excellence that has been established here and work to improve on that greatness. As the new principal of South Forsyth, my first course of action will be to meet the teachers, students, and parents at the school to introduce myself and learn more about how we can become the finest high school in the State of Georgia.”
Dr. L.C. (Buster) Evans, FCS superintendent, said he is pleased to have a principal of Dr. Branch's caliber chosen to lead South Forsyth HS.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Jason Branch as a new member of our leadership team as principal of South Forsyth High School. Dr. Branch brings a commitment to excellence, value system, and work ethic that will ensure the continued high standard of excellence that is legendary at South Forsyth High School," said Dr. Evans. "Dr. Branch’s decision to join our family of educators reflects his recognition of the quality of educational opportunity that exists in Forsyth County. Jason is recognized as a leader that puts the interest of students first while providing a strong support base for faculty. I think he is truly an outstanding fit for South Forsyth High, and I enthusiastically welcome him to our district and community.”
Dr. Branch began his educational career as a high school English teacher and basketball coach in Brunswick, Georgia. After several years of successful teaching and coaching, Dr. Branch accepted an assistant principal position at McEachern High School in Cobb County. Over the next five years, Dr. Branch supervised all areas of curriculum development and classroom instruction at McEachern. In addition, he oversaw one of the state’s most successful and storied athletic programs during a time when student enrollment at the school stood at over 3,000 students.
He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in English from the University of Georgia. Dr. Branch also holds a Specialist in Education degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Southern Mississippi.
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