- MCS assistant superintendent Eric Terrell will become the school district's interim superintendent when Robby Parker retires at the end of February.
School board selects Terrell to serve as interim superintendent
Published 7:52 pm Thursday, January 23, 2020
MADISON – Madison City Schools assistant superintendent Eric Terrell was named the interim superintendent for the school district Thursday night.
Terrell will begin his new duties once superintendent Robby Parker retires Feb. 28.
Parker announced his retirement two weeks ago after serving MCS as its superintendent for three years, which caps off a 31-year teaching career that also includes roles as coach, teacher, middle school principal, high school principal and assistant superintendent.
School board members expressed confidence in Terrell to lead Madison City Schools until a new superintendent is named later this spring. Board president Renae Bartlett recommended him for the position and said he would not be applying for the superintendent’s position. He will continue to serve as assistant superintendent once a new superintendent is chosen.
“We will not skip a beat with Mr. Terrell in that position,” Bartlett said. “He has been in every important meeting that Mr. Parker has been a part of. They have been partners in everything. He is well-regarded by our staff, our teachers and our students. We will be very blessed to have him in that position.”
“I can’t think of a better selection to maintain continuity and trust,” school board member Tim Holtcamp said about the recommendation.
School board member Luis Ferrer echoed that thought. “We are about to make a lot of important decisions and things are going to move fast. We are making a great selection,” he said.
Terrell thanked the school board for their confidence in him. “I am very honored and humbled to have this opportunity to serve Madison City Schools in this capacity,” he said. “We do have a lot of decisions to make between now and finding a new superintendent and I look forward to helping the school district stay on track.”
Before becoming the district’s assistant superintendent, Terrell served as principal of Discovery Middle School and assistant principal at James Clemens, where he also served as the school’s athletic director.
He then worked at Bob Jones High School as a special education teacher, head ninth-grade football coach and assistant head coach for varsity football. He was promoted to assistant principal before going to James Clemens.
Terrell assisted with opening James Clemens High School. He then served at the new school as an assistant principal and athletic director.
“I am very proud of him,” Parker said about Terrell. “The school district is not just going to be ok when I leave, it will be better. Eric Terrell will be great.”
Parker first hired Terrell in 2003 while serving as the principal at Discovery Middle School, and picked him to become the assistant superintendent shortly after becoming superintendent.
The school board also adopted the process and timetable for finding Parker’s successor. It essentially sets a March 23 application deadline, the field of applicants to be narrowed by April 7, finalists announced April 9, interviews conducted April 20-22 and then April 28 if needed, and a permanent superintendent to be named by April 30.
