By FULLER ROYAL
Staff Writer

Virginia native Frederick Hill, who has taken over the helm of Central Middle School, said he chose education because education had given so much to him.

“This is my way of giving back,” said the first-time principal who replaced Dr. Beverly Boone last month. Boone retired after four years at CMS.
“Education was the key to success and I felt like I could contribute to that,” he said.

It was a business teacher who encouraged Hill.

“I took her class in eighth, 10th and 12 h grades,” he said. “She inspired me to be a teacher.”

After high school, Hill earned a business education degree from North Carolina A&T. He followed that with an MBA from High Point University and a master of education degree from the University of Phoenix.

He is working on his doctorate in leadership from NCA&T.

He taught business in the Guilford County middle and high schools for 10 years before his principal suggested he try his hand at administration.
He became the assistant principal at High Point Andrews High School.

He came to Whiteville because he was looking for something different and he had worked with Dr. Randall Shaver, the Whiteville City Schools’ new superintendent.

“I had worked with Dr. Shaver when I was a teacher,” Hill said. “I liked his leadership style and I learned a lot from him.”

Hill said that Shaver’s direction had improved his own leadership style.

Hill said that the biggest challenge he faces at CMS will be getting to know the community and establishing relationships.

He said that he is looking forward to helping the faculty and staff at CMS take the students to higher levels of accomplishment.

So far, he has only met about one-fourth of his faculty.

He is impressed with the teachers he has met.

“It’s definitely a very supportive staff,” he said. “A lot a family-oriented culture and the staff is dedicated.”

Hill said he will work this year to establish a pre-Advanced Placement program at CMS to help students make the transition to the harder AP courses at the high school.

CMS will also become part of the Making Middle Grades Work program from the Southern Regional Education Board.

Making Middle Grades Work is a multi-state network of middle schools working with the best practices available to better prepare students for high school

Hill said the school will ease into the program over time.

Hill said he sees himself as a servant-leader.

He said he believes in rolling up his sleeves to help teachers and staff make things work. He said his style is not sending out memos from the office.
“I will jump in the fire with them,” he said.

Hill is married and has two daughters, ages 13 and 4. He enjoys freshwater fishing, doing research and trivia games.