Education
Education

Gwinnett County names two new principals

Rachel Ernst and Melanie Lee. PHOTO CREDIT: GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Rachel Ernst and Melanie Lee. PHOTO CREDIT: GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
By
June 27, 2017

Gwinnett County school officials announced late Monday who will lead two of its schools for the upcoming school year.

Rachel Ernst will be the new principal of Starling Elementary School. She was most recently the assistant principal of McConnell Middle School in Loganville.

Melanie Lee will become the principal of Norton Elementary School in Snellville. She was most recently an assistant principal at the school.

Ernst and Lee replace Donna Ledford and Terry Watlington, who were named earlier this month assistant superintendents for Gwinnett's elementary schools. 

In other Education news:

Back-To-School Do's And Don'ts

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

Follow Eric Stirgus on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

The quadrangle at Oxford College of Emory University. The university announced Wednesday it will be tuition-free for undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000. (Courtesy of Kay Hinton)

Credit: Kay Hinton

Emory giving free tuition to students from families making under $200,000

Starting next academic year, Emory University will be tuition-free for undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000, a move that could help hundreds of students.

Atlanta HBCUs win millions from White House — but it could be at others’ expense

The additional allocation from the Trump administration will bring federal HBCU funding to a total of more than $1.34 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Ga. school district faces ‘financial crisis,’ top education official says

Dublin City Schools must pay the state millions and plan for "substantial" spending cuts.

The Latest

State School Superintendent Richard Woods, pictured during a roundtable discussion in Cumming in 2022, says Dublin City Schools is on "a direct path to insolvency and financial crisis." (Ben Gray for the AJC 2022)

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Ga. school district faces ‘financial crisis,’ top education official says

Emory giving free tuition to students from families making under $200,000

Atlanta HBCUs win millions from White House — but it could be at others’ expense

Featured

Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Police abandoned area where 8-year-old was shot, detective testifies

The testimony came as trial began for Julian Conley, the man accused of fatally shooting the child near the burned-down Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was killed weeks earlier.

Emory giving free tuition to students from families making under $200,000

Starting next academic year, Emory University will be tuition-free for undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000, a move that could help hundreds of students.

Weekend Predictions: Another winning weekend for Falcons, Georgia Tech?

Weekend Predictions is off to a hot start. But will wins by the Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Tech and Georgia State keep this streak alive?