Administration
Colleen Carr, Principal
Ms. Carr brings over 20 years of experience in education, having most recently served as the Director of Acceleration Schools at CCSD. In this role, she has driven student success and mentored assistant principals into influential instructional leaders, enhancing practices in the district’s most vulnerable schools.
Before joining CCSD, Ms. Carr spent over ten years in various leadership roles at Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) in Florida. There, she developed and implemented the School Turnaround Framework for low-performing schools. She also spearheaded the College Fellows program, a grant-funded initiative that enlisted college students and recent graduates to improve the academic outcomes of 45 underperforming schools. Ms. Carr established strong partnerships with the University of South Florida, St. Leo University, and Hillsborough Community College to ensure these schools met Florida’s academic standards.
Ms. Carr also contributed significantly to HCPS’s Transformation Network Strategic Plan, leading efforts to improve leadership, instructional infrastructure, talent management, and school climate. She partnered with the HCPS School Board Chair to develop a district-wide initiative to raise awareness about human trafficking.
As principal of Beth Shields Middle School, the largest middle school in Hillsborough County with nearly 2,000 students, Ms. Carr led the school to notable academic progress, raising its rating from a “D” to a “C” in 18 months with an 86-point gain. Key accomplishments during her tenure include:
- Managing a team of over 80 staff members
- Implementing professional development programs to enhance instructional practices.
- Establishing an equity plan that allowed students to earn up to 13 high school credits, including foreign language, before leaving middle school
- Securing a grant from Amazon to launch a STEM, coding, and robotics program focusing on girls in STEM.
- Developing a Career and Technical Education (CTE) entrepreneurship program where students earned industry certifications and competed for sponsorships to launch their businesses.
Ms. Carr holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Florida, a Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia, and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia. She is certified in K-12 Principalship, Reading Endorsement, and Educational Leadership K-12. Ms. Carr is a two-time Teacher of the Year award winner and a semifinalist for the Atlanta Public Schools Teacher of the Year.
Ms. Carr enjoys spending time with her daughter, Ja’Siyah (“Josie”), shopping, and reading.
CCSD is thrilled to welcome Ms. Carr as the Interim Principal of Simmons-Pinckney Middle School and looks forward to her continued positive impact on student achievement and school success.