Herring named new principal of Walt Whitman

May 5, 2017 Schools

Craig Herring has been selected to be the new principal of Walt Whitman Middle School. 

Herring, who has served as an assistant principal at Walt Whitman for the past two years, was officially named principal on Wednesday. He takes over for the late Roger Vanderhye, who passed away in January. Vanderhye had been principal at the school since July 2015.

“I take on this new role with energy and optimism for the future,” Herring said in a Friday letter to the Whitman community. “Many of you know me as an assistant principal at Whitman over the past two years where I’ve had the opportunity to build positive relationships with students, teachers, parents, and community members.  I’m looking forward to continuing the relationships I’ve already made and establishing new ones with those of you I have not met yet.”

Herring has a masters degree in education from the University of Virginia, and began teaching in Fairfax County in 1994. After stints at West Potomac and McLean, he worked in the FCPS central office for a number of years before taking the assistant principal position at Walt Whitman.

In his letter, Herring outlined three primary goals for Whitman in the next few years.

“First, I want all students to reach their full potential.  This can only happen if we ensure that the necessary rigor is found in all classrooms.  Aligned with the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate and the tenets of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, Whitman’s curriculum is poised to achieve this goal,” Herring wrote. ” Second, we want our students to be healthy and well-rounded, with a focus on the arts, mental and physical health, wellness, and giving back to the community.  And finally, I want Whitman to be a vibrant part of the Mount Vernon Community.”