Ocean Springs gets new superintendent of education

Bonita Coleman-Potter

From The Mississippi Link Newswire

OCEAN SPRINGS – Ocean Springs’ new education superintendent says she’s excited to be moving from a huge school district to what she calls the intimacy of a smaller district.

Bonita Coleman-Potter

Bonita Coleman-Potter officially began her new post on July 1 in Ocean Springs and she’s coming from Prince George’s County Public Schools – a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Prince George school system had a $1.6 billion budget, 123,000 students and 216 schools, where she was deputy superintendent.

Excited to be returning home to Mississippi, Coleman-Potter said coming to Ocean Springs, a district of 6,000 children, she can learn the names and faces of the students, and plans weekly visits to each of the seven schools in the district.

Born in Jackson, Coleman-Potter earned her bachelor’s degree from Tougaloo College, her master’s degree from the University of Mississippi and her doctorate from Jackson State. She has AAAA certifications in English and administration.

Coleman-Potter taught middle school in Clinton, was deputy superintendent of instruction for four years in the Jackson Public School District, and was a college professor at Tugaloo and Jackson State.

For eight years with the Mississippi Department of Education, Coleman-Potter was the associate state superintendent in the Office of Academics; the bureau director for the Office of Reading, Early Childhood and Language Arts; division director of the Office of Instructional Development; and coordinator for training for the Office of Leadership Development.

Ocean Springs board member Tim Taranto described Coleman-Potter as ‘qualified and articulate.’ Board member William Lee said she will be active and visible in the community.

In her new capacity at Ocean Springs, Coleman-Potter replaces Robert Hirsch who retired June 30.

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