FWISD ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATOR ASSIGNMENTS

Fort Worth, Texas - In a realignment of Fort Worth ISD administrative responsibilities, current Executive Director Cathleen Richardson has been asked to add the area of Career and Technical Education to her duties. Veteran high school principal Donna Jefferies has been named Executive Director of Science, Health/PE. This realignment will allow Mrs. Richardson to concentrate on building the CTE program and reinforcing the natural alignment between CTE and Mathematics.  

 Ms. Jefferies most recently was the principal of Western Hills High School. Ms. Jefferies is a science teacher with certifications in chemistry, biology and composite science. She began her Fort Worth ISD career in 1994. 

Donna Jeffries was an active leader in all elements of FWISD’s curricular reforms. She has a deep understanding of science, rigorous instruction, the Principles of Learning, and the curriculum frameworks.  

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Donna to scale-up her knowledge of high quality instruction and leadership to the District level,” said Michael Sorum, the District’s Chief Academic Officer. “Principals, teachers, parents, and students are fortunate to have an advocate like Donna working to improve learning in the area of science for the entire district.” 

Taking over for Ms. Jefferies at Western Hills HS will be current Assistant Principal James L. Wellman. Mr. Wellman was first assigned to Western Hills HS in 2005. 

He is a West Virginian by birth and a graduate of West Virginia State College. He completed a Master’s in Education Administration at Texas Christian University in 2006. 

Mr. Wellman has been involved as an educator since 1991. He joined the Fort Worth ISD in 2000 teaching in Special Education and coaching volleyball, basketball and golf. Mr. Wellman retired as a basketball coach in 2004 with over 300 wins spanning fourteen years. He has been the assistant principal at Western Hills High School since 2005. 

“Jamie Wellman is a strong instructional leader who knows the students and the community,” said Chuck Boyd, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary School Leadership. “He is student centered, very personable and the ideal choice to assume the reigns from Donna Jefferies.” 

Both Ms. Jefferies and Mr. Wellman’s appointments are subject to approval by the FWISD Board of Education.  

-FWISD-