Jordan High School principal to head DPS Human Resources
Nelson, who has been principal at Jordan since July 1999, was named 2003 Principal of the Year for Durham Public Schools last fall, and he advanced to capture the title for the North Central Region as a state finalist last February.
Before coming to Durham he was Assistant Principal of Instruction at Leesville Road High School in the Wake County Public School System for two years. He has eight additional years of experience as an assistant principal in high schools in North Carolina. Nelson also formerly served as a Human Resources Administrator in Wake County Schools.
His pursuit of his new position stems from his ongoing interest in the field and his recognition of its direct correlation to increased student achievement. "This is a wonderful and rare opportunity for me to utilize my human resources skills and experience. Durham Public Schools strives to meet the dual goals of at least 95 percent of third-graders reading proficiently and closing the achievement gap by 2007, and I am excited to be a part of it," said Nelson. "I have truly enjoyed my time at Jordan and I will deeply miss it. But I leave on a very high note and am extremely proud of the students, staff and the extraordinary progress they have made over the last several years."
During Nelson’s tenure at Jordan, the school experienced significant growth in student achievement levels. These kinds of results have led to Jordan’s designation as a High Growth School and a School of Progress under the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s ABCs assessment in 2002. Nelson earned a B.A. in English with teacher certification from Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, and a master’s degree in educational administration from East Carolina University in Greenville. "A strong and productive human resources department is a crucial component to the success of a school district and its students. Rodney Nelson will be key in ensuring that Durham Public Schools’ faculty and staff are of the highest quality as we pursue our goals," said Superintendent Ann T. Denlinger. "His extensive experience as both an award-winning educator and human resources administrator assures me that he is very well prepared for his new role."
May 12, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Calvin Dobbins, Associate Superintendent Administrative Services, 560-3736
