NORTH AUGUSTA - Fox Creek High School Principal, Dr. Tim Murph, recently completed the National Principals’ Mentor Certification through the National Association of Elementary School Principals and Nova Southeastern University.

This extensive program began the summer of 2008 with a week long course offered at the Headquarters of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators.

Over the course of the 2008-2009 school year, Dr. Murph designed and implemented a number of professional development programs and worked one-on-one with a prospective principal to mentor him regarding the many challenges and rewards of being a principal in the 21st century.

Murph and his Mentee completed more than 70 hours of collaborative training. Murph is now certified to assist first year principals and principals in training both within his school district and throughout the country. The motto of the program is “Mentoring for Success-ion”.

Murph stated, “The continuing teacher shortage is affecting our supply of quality principals. Added to this teacher shortage are the difficulties that principals face today. We have an unprecedented budget concern, unparalleled technology concerns with cell phones and computers, and an ever increasing shortage of teachers in key subject areas. These combined have an effect on teachers’ decisions to leave the classroom and lead a school. I am confident that with strong mentoring programs, our teachers will feel more comfortable in leaving the classroom and have the support they need to tackle the extreme challenges administrators face these days.”

Murph explained that he will continue to support his colleagues entering the principalship and looks forward to hopefully mentoring for the 2009-2010 school year one of the new principals recently hired in the CSRA.