Ashley Principal's Contract May Be Renewed Before Survey Results Are Even Reviewed

According to inside sources at Ashley High School, principal Jackson Norvell's contract will be renewed in the coming days, and may be made official at the next New Hanover County School Board of Education meeting. To the dismay of many concerned parents and teachers, it looks like Jackson's contract will be renewed even before the crucial AdvancED report is to be released to the public later this month, and before the results of a newly commissioned Teacher Working Conditions Survey results come out.

Media reports told of severe problems with the change of leadership at Ashley High School. A review of all New Hanover County schools finds that Ashley teachers rank their new leadership the worst in the county by a significant margin. 

Ashley High School has been in turmoil since Superintendent Tim Markley appointed Jackson Norvell as principal. Ashley teachers and  staff members have left the school at a record pace under Jackson's tenure.  A 2014 North Carolina Teachers Working Conditions Survey showed that under Norvell working conditions at the school had plummeted. In emails teachers wrote "It has been the worst year at Ashley ever this year. Our principal is a bully and is retaliatory," Another described the school under Jackson's leadership as "A scary place to work."  In a report at Fox Wilmington, Ashley teachers said Principal Norvell has consistently punished those who spoke up in the school and that teachers are in fear for their jobs.