Former T.L. Weston Middle School principal Walter McDavid has taken his talent for implementing educational strategies from local to federal.
In his new role with the U.S. Department of Defense, he acts as a civilian military educational specialist for the U.S. Army based in Virginia.
McDavid officially retired from the Greenville Public School District in November 2022 after 11 years having served as principal of Weddington Elementary for five and principal of T.L. Weston for six.
Prior to arriving at GPSD, McDavid worked in the Benoit and Western Line School public school districts.
By nature, he is a challenge seeker, which lended to his reason for transitioning from an elementary school principal to a middle school principal and also, from the public sector of education to the federal.
Taking on the challenge to improve the academic success of T.L. Weston was described by McDavid as “a bit of a dare” by his former superintendent.
“Weddington was number three in the state as far as test scores are concerned for elementary schools, so we’d accomplished quite a lot at Weddington, especially in math and science,” he recalled, noting it did not become “boring” per se, but gradually less onerous. “So, I was looking for a new challenge and I had actually accepted a job across seas in the United Arab Emirates and I heard my superintendent make the statement, ‘If it’s another challenge you’re looking for, let’s see if you can turn Weston around.’”
True to his challenge-seeking nature, McDavid’s response was “I’m sure I could.”
His recollection of his first year arriving at Weston along with his team was Weston being third from the bottom in middle school state test scores.
“We were an F at that point and after the first year we were understaffed, but we made some adjustments and rolled with what we had and we moved from an F in our first year to a low D,” McDavid pointed out. “In the second year, we moved from a low D to a high D, just below a C and we remained a C until the pandemic.”
He also pointed out that like most school districts across the state during the recent pandemic, there was a significant regression.
“There was a regression of mastery in learning for students, and our kids were no exception — our regression showed. That was something I had been vocal about and that’s what my data was showing all year, that we were going to populate as a D,” McDavid said further. “It set us up in a real good spot for growth moving beyond the pandemic.”
When asked about his decision to retire in October, he shared he had already been deemed “vetted” by the Defense Department since July 2022 and undergoing background clearance checks.
After receiving notification he’d passed the clearance checks, McDavid received the following October a “tentative final offer” for the job he is currently in.
He highlighted the importance of being forthright and forthcoming to Superintendent Glenn Dedeux about the process and his intention to accept the role and file for his retirement.
As one who considers himself to be very transparent, he acted in the same manner with his fellow staff.
However much of a pivot McDavid’s move appears to be, his ambitions lied within the district purview for some time, but didn’t quite manifest in the way he’d hoped.
“I had been recommended by the previous superintendent, Dr. Debra Dace, as a project director (for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funded projects) to work with the district,” he shared. “After I got turned down a second time, I withdrew my interest and my application and I asked to be removed from the recommendations for the position.”
It was then McDavid had made up his mind he would retire at T.L. Weston if, and only if, he got the “absolute perfect” opportunity.
“I was blessed with this position that I am in now, so I couldn’t turn it down,” he said.
And, although McDavid is miles and miles away from the place he calls home, his mind and his heart are still very much present.
He follows the progress of T.L. Weston and his past colleagues via social media and is pleased to see they are moving in the right direction under the leadership of his successor, Dr. Clayton Barksdale.
“I miss my kids daily, of course, and a lot of times through their parents’ social media, they’ll reach out to me and express that they miss me and I tell them I miss them. A lot of them that have gone on to matriculate from Weston, I keep in contact with them and what they’re doing in life. Those relationships are key and you never let go of those things,” added McDavid.
