Waynesboro Public Schools has announced the retirement of Assistant Superintendent Vermell Grant effective Jan. 1, 2022.
Grant, a graduate of Waynesboro High School, began her teaching career in Waynesboro at Rosenwald, which was used as an upper elementary school serving the Wayne Hills area. In 1981, the classes housed at Rosenwald were moved to then Kate Collins Junior High School, where she taught third and fourth grade. After 14 years at Kate Collins, she transitioned to the newly constructed William Perry Elementary School, where she continued as a fourth-grade teacher.
In 1999, Grant was appointed to be the assistant principal of Westwood Hills Elementary, and in 2001 served as interim principal at William Perry Elementary School for that school year. In 2002, she was officially appointed to be the principal of William Perry. This was deemed an honor by Grant as the school was named for her relative, William W. Perry.
Under the leadership of Dr. Robin Crowder, in 2006, Grant was appointed the assistant superintendent of Waynesboro Public Schools. From 2013 until present she has continued to serve as assistant superintendent alongside current Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Cassell.
“Mrs. Grant represents all the qualities and abilities that epitomize outstanding leadership in public education. She is a consummate professional whose decades of positive influences and meaningful interactions with students, staff, parents, and community have been felt for decades and will continue to be felt for generations. She has been a fabulous partner in providing leadership for the school division over the last nine years. She will be missed,” Cassell said.
As assistant superintendent, Grant played an instrumental role in many important projects and initiatives within Waynesboro Public Schools. Early in her career she helped with the development of the William Perry baseball/softball field, originally developed for students with disabilities. In addition, Grant was key in the expansion and consolidation of the Waynesboro Public School preschool program and the opening of the Wayne Hills Center.
One of Grant’s many responsibilities as assistant superintendent included the management of the WPS Human Resources Department, where she worked tirelessly to ensure that the staff of Waynesboro Public Schools was made up of the best of the best. Throughout her tenure, she helped several individuals who were interested in the teaching profession attain the necessary endorsements and licenses to become successful educators. Furthermore, within the Human Resource Department she revised and helped develop the Waynesboro Public School Teacher Performance Plan and oversaw upgrades to the hiring and evaluation system used by the division.
As discussions began regarding the renovation of Waynesboro High School, Grant seamlessly took the lead in designing the interior, ensuring that it was student-friendly, modern, and aesthetically pleasing. Finally, Grant can be credited for her work in adding two electric buses to Waynesboro’s fleet in an effort to reduce carbon emission and save the school
division money for maintenance cost and gas.
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Chris Graham
