Principal: Jerome Leathers

 Mr. Leathers is a native of Durham, North Carolina, and a product of Durham City Schools.  After graduating from Hillside High School, Mr. Leathers attended Norfolk State University and North Carolina Central University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from North Carolina Central University.  Additionally, he earned his Master of School Administration and Education Administration and Supervision from North Carolina Central University.

Mr. Leathers taught math for twelve years at the middle and high school levels with ten years at the high school level.  In 2003, Mr. Leathers was voted Teacher of the Year by the Faculty and Staff of Jordan High School.  While teaching in the classroom Mr. Leathers was the Head JV basketball and Head JV Softball coach for several years.  

After earning his Master of Administration degree, Mr. Leathers served as an Assistant Principal at Hillside High School for three years.  In 2011, Mr. Leathers was named the Principal at Charles E. Jordan High School where he served the Jordan Community for 3 years.  Afterward, Mr. Leathers was named Principal of Southern School of Energy and Sustainability in 2014 and continues to serve in that role.

Mr. Leathers’ passion to positively impact young people is what stands out the most.  He is truly a champion for all students of the Durham Community.

 Assistant Principal School of Business Management & Sustainability : Joy Bingham

Joy Bingham was raised in Durham, NC and is a product of Durham Public Schools (C.E. Jordan class of ’96). Ms. Bingham has been dedicated to the field of education her entire career and has had the pleasure of working with a variety of students ranging in levels from elementary school to high school. Ms. Bingham holds Bachelor Degrees in Health Education and Elementary Education, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master of School Administration in Educational Leadership - all from North Carolina Central University. She served as a Title I Coordinator for Alexandria City Public Schools for 5 years before becoming a school administrator and worked as a third-grade teacher for 9 years with Durham Public Schools.

Ms. Bingham serves as the Director of the Business Management and Sustainability Academy. She also oversees the Mathematics department, as well as the office staff, student services, registration, attendance, early release/late arrival, the master schedule, Honor Roll celebrations, open house, Senior Awards Day, school pictures, and graduation.

Ms. Bingham is the proud mother of a DPS Kindergarten student. She is a member of the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals Association and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Ms. Bingham enjoys traveling, reading, attending theater shows, and listening to live music.

She can be reached at 919 560 3968 x68233 or joy_bingham@dpsnc.net.

Assistant Principal School of Biomedical Technology : Jennifer Campbell 

A graduate of Lynchburg College and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Ms. Jennifer Campbell began her professional career as a Special Education teacher in Lynchburg, Virginia. She taught middle school English and Math. In 2006, she moved to Durham and began teaching as an inclusion teacher at Neal Middle School. In 2007, she began as an EC Facilitator where she worked with several DPS elementary and middle schools (Bethesda, Oak Grove, Lakewood, Shepard, Eastway and Southern) until 2011. While working as an EC Facilitator, Ms. Campbell completed her master’s degree in School Administration, in 2010.

In 2011, she was hired as the Director of Biomedical Technology at Southern School of Energy & Sustainability. While serving as director of the Biomed Academy, the student enrollment for the program has grown by 40%. She has been able to form partnerships with BioMeriux, BioGen, and the BRITE Program at NCCU.

Ms. Campbell also helped teachers form the Freshman Academy, which was able to reduce the 9th grade retention rate by 30% in the 1st two years of its existence. While working at SSES, Ms. Campbell has also been the administrator over the EL, English, World Languages, and Arts departments. She has worked with the Master Schedule, been the testing coordinator, and led the first few years of Southern’s Summer Bridge Program. Currently, she is the administrator working with EL, English, World Languages and Testing.

Ms. Campbell is married with 3 adult children (Ryan, Donovan and Brooke). She and her family enjoy traveling, outdoor activities and family events. She is a member of the NC Principals and Assistant Principals Association, Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) Society International, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She can be reached at 919 560 3968 x68274 or Jennifer_hull-campbe@dpsnc.net.

Assistant Principal: Alaina Burr                                                             

Alaina Burr is a NC native with 17 years experience in education. During her fourteen years as an ESL teacher, she provided instruction in all core content areas before becoming a Teaching and Learning Coach to support in-person and virtual instruction.

Ms. Burr has provided teacher training for Duke MAT students, DAE, The Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at UNC at Chapel Hill and Duke University, and for teachers in China and El Salvador. She was the recipient of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Affairs’ Teaching Excellence and Achievement Grant for Teacher Exchange in 2011 and was recognized as DPS Teacher of the Year in 2012.

Ms. Burr holds a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and Sociology from UNC Chapel Hill, a Community Spanish Interpreter Certification from Durham Technical Community College and a Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Greensboro College. She will complete a Master of School Administration at NC State in the spring of 2022. 

Ms. Burr serves as the Director of the Technology and Engineering Academy. She also oversees the Media Center, Health & PE, Social Studies, ESL, technology, MTSS, PBIS, CFST, ACT, testing, and parking.

When she is not at work, Ms. Burr enjoys being active. She is a certified rescue diver and world traveler. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding and training for triathlons. She also loves reading and spending time with her four-year-old son.

She can be reached at 919-560-3968 ext. 81101 and by email Alaina_Burr@dpsnc.net

Assistant Principal School of Architecture & Construction Engineering: Christopher Starkey

Christopher Starkey is an Assistant Principal at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. He oversees the Social Studies, Health and Physical Education, Career Technical Education, as well as Athletics Departments. He is also the Director over the School of Architecture and Construction Engineering, Freshman Academy, and transportation. Mr. Starkey has over 25 years of service in education, previously serving as an Exceptional Children’s Self-Contained teacher and an Inclusion and Behavior consult at various schools in Durham.

Mr. Starkey is a native of Farmville, North Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Elizabeth City State University, a Master of Arts in Psychology, as well as a Master of Special Education from North Carolina Central University. He also earned his School Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. He is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, as well as the National Historically Black College and University Foundation. He is also a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Inc.

Mr. Starkey is married to Kimberly and they have two children, Christopher Jr. and Ziah, as well as a grandson named Noah. Mr. Starkey enjoys cooking, coaching, and weight training in his leisure time.

Mr. Starkey can be reached at 919-560-3968 x81113 and Christopher_Starkey@dpsnc.net.