2024-2025 Administrative Promotions, New Hires, and Changes 

At the June 5, 2024, meeting of the School Board, the Hampton School Board approved the following administrative promotions:

 

New Director of Elementary School Leadership

 

Dr. Kara Plank will serve as the director of elementary school leadership for the 2024-2025 school year, effective July 1, 2024.

 

Dr. Plank started her career with Hampton City Schools in 2006, teaching at Merrimack and Phillips Elementary Schools and then serving as a Title I math coach. She was promoted to the role of assistant principal, working at Burbank, Tyler, and Smith Elementary Schools, before again being promoted to principal in 2017. She has served as principal at Kraft Elementary and most recently at Patrick Elementary.

 

Dr. Plank earned her bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Virginia and both a master's and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University.

 

New Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

 

Dr. Jennifer Thomason will serve as the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the 2024-2025 school year, effective July 1, 2024.

 

Dr. Thomason began her teaching career in 2010 with Hampton City Schools teaching at Tarrant Elementary and then Bryan Elementary. She was promoted to digital learning specialist in 2020 and coordinator of innovation and digital learning in 2023.

 

Dr. Thomason earned a bachelor’s and master’s from Old Dominion University as well as an education specialist degree in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. She returned to Old Dominion University to complete her doctorate in educational leadership.

 

New Health & Physical Education Curriculum Leader

 

Ms.Samantha Demyanyuk will serve as the health & physical education curriculum leader, effective July 1, 2024.

 

Ms. Demyanyuk has served as a health & physical education teacher with Hampton City Schools since 2007 with over 20 years in education. She is currently at the Kilgore Gifted Center.

 

Ms. Demyanyuk has a bachelor’s in exercise/sport science and history from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master’s in education from Old Dominion University.

 

New Science Curriculum Leader

 

Ms. Elizabeth Goodwyn will serve as the science curriculum leader, effective July 1, 2024.

 

Ms. Goodwyn began her teaching career in Hampton City Schools as a science teacher in 2004 at Davis Middle School (now Tarrant Middle School). She was promoted to assistant principal in 2020 and served at Jones Magnet Middle School and Lindsay Middle School. She is currently an academy principal at Hampton High School.

 

Ms. Goodwyn received a bachelor’s from Christopher Newport University with a major in psychology and elementary education and a minor in biology. She received a master’s in teaching from Grand Canyon University and an educational specialist degree in both administration and leadership and curriculum and instruction from Liberty University.

 

Elementary Principals – Unassigned

 

Dr. Jared Munroe has been promoted to elementary principal effective July 1, 2024. His school is unassigned at this time.

 

Dr. Munroe began his career in education in 2011 with Richmond Public Schools where he served as a middle school social studies teacher. He also served as a social studies teacher and dean of students in Norfolk Public Schools. Dr. Munroe joined Hampton City Schools in 2020 as an assistant principal at Andrews PreK-8 School.

 

Dr. Munroe earned a bachelor’s in social studies with a minor in secondary education from Virginia State University. He earned both a master’s and doctorate in educational leadership from Old Dominion University.

 

Ms. Jasmin Royal has been promoted to elementary principal effective July 1, 2024. Her school is unassigned at this time.

 

Ms. Royal was hired in 2008 as an instructional assistant with Hampton City Schools and was quickly promoted to family engagement specialist where she served at Cary Elementary School (now Mary Christian Elementary School) and Aberdeen Elementary School. She began as a teacher in 2016 and has served as a teacher at both Bassette Elementary and Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology. Ms. Royal was promoted to assistant principal at Mary Jackson Fundamental Elementary School in 2021.

 

Ms. Royal has a bachelor’s of interdisciplinary students degree from Old Dominion University and a master’s in education from Liberty University.

At the May 15, 2024, meeting of the School Board, the Hampton School Board approved the following administrative promotions:

New Director of Health Services

Ms. Carrie Battista will serve as the director of health services for the 2024-2025  school year, effective July 1, 2024.

 

Nurse Battista began her journey with Hampton City Schools as the school nurse for Bassette Elementary School in 2015. In 2020, she transitioned to Smith Elementary School before being appointed as the Health Services Supervisor in July 2023. 

She earned her national certification and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 

New Secondary English Language Arts Curriculum Leader

Ms. Jennifer Butler will serve as the secondary English language arts curriculum leader, effective July 1, 2024. 

Mrs. Butler was hired as an English language arts (ELA) teacher for Kecoughtan High School in 2003. She was promoted to secondary ELA coach in 2014 and to secondary ELA teacher specialist in 2015.  

She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master's in education with a concentration in curriculum & instruction, both from Radford University. She is also a member of the Old Dominion University Leadership Cohort that begins this summer.