Decatur High School Principal Noel Maloof, who’d only held the position one year, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer for City Schools Decatur. Superintendent Phyllis Edwards announced the change before DHS’ School Leadership Team Thursday night.
Maloof replaces Kiawana Kennedy who left earlier this month to become assistant superintendent of administrative services for the Griffin-Spalding County school system.
Edwards also named longtime City Schools Decatur staffer Arlethea Williams as the high school’s new principal. For now, Edwards said, Maloof will remain at DHS during a transitional period of unspecified duration.
Edwards said Thursday she wouldn’t go so far as calling Maloof the school system’s number two administrator. But in the past year Kennedy had gotten increased visibility, and responsibilities, even sitting in for Edwards during June’s school board meeting. CSD hasn’t had an official second-in-command since Associate Superintendent Thomas Van Soelen resigned in June 2013.
According to several sources, Maloof had been unpopular with a small segment of the high school’s faculty, mostly its veteran teachers. But Edwards said this had nothing to do with her decision.
“Noel applied for this job and I think he’s the best fit,” she said. “He’ll be in charge of transportation, food services, technology, maintenance and human resources.”
Maloof, 45, has spent 17 years in education including two years as principal at Dunwoody High, while also a 23-year resident of the city. Williams has been a CSD teacher and assistant principal for 20 years, and the high school’s assistant principal since 2006.
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