The Columbus Municipal School District released the name of the fourth superintendent candidate, as well as the interview schedule, late Thursday afternoon.
Dr. John G. “Greg” Ladner, interim superintendent of the Moss Point School District in Moss Point rounds out the list of final candidates, CMSD Public Information Officer Janet Lewis reported Thursday.
The other three candidates are Isaac “Ike” Leon Haynes, superintendent of the Jefferson Davis County School District; Dr. Pamela Taylor Henson, director of instructional support for the Baldwin County Board of Education in Alabama; and Dr. Martha Liddell, current interim superintendent for the Columbus city schools.
Although Ladner initially requested to have his name withheld and a private interview, all four interviews now will be conducted publicly.
Ladner will be interviewed May 21, Haynes will be interviewed May 22, Henson will be interviewed May 24 and Liddell will be interviewed May 25. Interviews will begin at 6 p.m. at the Brandon Central Services Office, located at 2630 McArthur Drive.
Ladner, 55, has served as the interim superintendent in Moss Point since July 1, after then-Superintendent Kim Staley’s contract was not renewed, due to poor student performance and other factors. He had expressed interest in a full-time position at Moss Point, but the local school board was unable to agree on the terms of his contract.
Before his post in Moss Point, Ladner served four years as superintendent of the Pearl Public School District in Pearl. He served four years as superintendent for the Lumberton School District and has 32 years’ experience as a teacher and educator.
While in Moss Point, he led six schools and 2,665 students. The district is 75 percent black, with a 76 percent poverty level.
It recently was re-accredited after losing accreditation a year ago. The district is currently low-performing after two years at risk of failing, based upon the state Department of Education’s accountability models.
Ladner, a Lumberton native, received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in education from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. He earned an associate’s degree in pre-law from Pearl River Community College in Hattiesburg.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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