GCS Appoints New Principals, Makes Administrator Changes
Changes will take effect on July 1, 2023

Congratulations are in order to seven new principals appointed during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. In addition, seven principals are relocating to new schools within the district, and one is moving to a central office role. All changes will take effect on July 1, 2023.

- Marcus Gause, principal at Andrews High, will become principal at Dudley High.

- Shervawn Sockwell, principal at McLeansville Elementary, will become principal at Gibsonville Elementary.

- Louis Galiotti, interim principal at Northern High and former principal at Doris Henderson Newcomers School, will become principal at Northern High.

- Sonia Marquez, principal at Oak Hill Elementary, will become principal at Doris Henderson Newcomers School.

- Crystal Gayman, principal at Parkview Village Elementary, will become principal at Oak Hill Elementary.

- Monique Curry, principal at Irving Park Elementary, will become principal at Parkview Village Elementary.

- Sophia Roberts, principal at Archer Elementary, will become principal at Reedy Fork Elementary.

Johncarlos Miller, principal at Weaver Academy, will become senior executive director of student assignment. Miller has been at Weaver Academy since 2018 and from 2010 to 2017. He has also been principal at Grimsley High and Northeast Middle and was GCS Principal of the Year in 2017-18. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and secondary education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), a master’s degree in school administration and a doctoral degree in educational leadership and cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).

Darell Baker will become principal at Andrews High. Baker has been an assistant principal there since 2017, where he developed professional development experiences for new staff members, assisted with building operations and observed, supervised and evaluated teachers and staff. He also worked as a school social worker and principal intern at the A&T Four Middle College at NC A&T and as an assistant principal at Lexington High. He is a graduate of Grimsley High and holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in school administration from NC A&T.

Shanta Buchanan will become the principal at Archer Elementary. She has been assistant principal at Southwest Elementary since 2021, where she is the community engagement and outreach liaison and provides instructional guidance during weekly professional learning community sessions. She also served as assistant principal at Oak View Elementary and started her career in Guilford County Schools as a teacher and administrative intern at Archer Elementary. Buchanan holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in school administration and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from UNCG.

Kimberly Leighty will be principal at Irving Park Elementary. Leighty has been an assistant principal at Western High since 2018 and was named Assistant Principal of the Year in September 2022. She has been instrumental in promoting the school’s choice programs and advocating for more Advanced Placement options for students. Leighty has experience as a blended learning coordinator and personalized learning coordinator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in middle grades education from Elon University, a master’s degree in instructional technology from NC A&T and a graduate program in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Shannon Vaka will be principal at McLeansville Elementary. Vaka has been an assistant principal at Simkins Elementary since 2020, where she revised the transportation plan to ensure student safety. She was a curriculum facilitator at Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary from 2017 to 2020 and a fourth-grade teacher at Southwest Elementary for 10 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Greensboro College and a master’s degree in school administration from NC A&T.

Yvonne Eason will be principal at Sedalia Elementary. Eason is an assistant principal at Ragsdale High, where she developed programs to address student attendance. She also worked as assistant principal at Grimsley High and was the coordinator of character development and service learning from 2011 to 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business education, a master’s in reading education, a master’s in school administration from NC A&T and is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership from High Point University.

Whitney Sluder will be the principal at Weaver Academy. Sluder has been at Weaver Academy since 2013, starting as a dance teacher from 2013 to 2017, a curriculum facilitator for a year and as assistant principal since 2018. As assistant principal, she has assisted teachers in using data to improve instruction and helped create interdisciplinary lessons between the performing and visual arts students and the career and technical education students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in dance studies from Meredith College, a master’s degree in executive leadership studies from Gardner-Webb University and is pursuing a doctoral degree in education from Gardner-Webb University.

Nicole Weeks will become principal at Northern Elementary. She has been interim principal there since earlier this school year and has been assistant principal since 2018. In that role, she improved teacher evaluations and developed a staff website to streamline communication within the school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in corporate communications from Elon University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a master’s degree in school administration from UNCG.