Walt Whitman Middle School welcomes new principal

John Flowers has been named principal of Walt Whitman Middle School, effective Aug. 25, according to a welcome message from Grace Taylor, the interim assistant superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Region 3. 

Flowers served for over 22 years in the Houston Independent School District where he most recently was principal of High School Ahead Academy. Before that, he was principal of Highland Heights Elementary School. He also has served as an assistant principal, literacy coach, instructional coach, instructional coordinator, computer technologist and classroom teacher.

Highlights and accomplishments from Flower's leadership journey include improved test scores, closure of achievement gaps and creation of engaging learning environments, wrote Taylor in her message to students, staff, parents and community members. 

"He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student success, addressing the performance of over-aged middle school students, remediating skills to close learning gaps in order to improve outcomes on state tests, and setting students up for success in high school classes," she wrote. "His strategies include daily parent contact, entering neighborhoods to bring students to school, setting up safe, student-centered conditions, and ensuring more engaging instruction in every classroom so that students attend and participate in school."

Flowers holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Prairie View A&T University and a Master of Education in educational administration from Lamar University.