Dionne Wells will serve as interim St. Thomas/St. John superintendent of schools effective Oct. 1, the Education Department announced Wednesday, replacing Jeannette Smith-Barry, who is retiring after more than six years in that post and 41 years with the Education Department.
Department spokesman Ananta Pancham said the department is finalizing the selection of someone to replace Wells.
“I have had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Wells work her way up through the ranks of the department, beginning as a teacher at Sprauve in the early 1990s and most recently, serving as the principal at both our St. John schools,” Education Commissioner Donna Frett-Gregory said. “In every capacity, she has shown her ability to lead, and I am confident that she is ready to take on this new role. I look forward to seeing her continue to advocate on behalf our teachers and students.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University in 1993, Wells returned home and began working in 1993 as a science teacher at Sprauve. After eight years at the school, Wells moved on to pursue her masters of education in supervision and instruction from the University of the Virgin Islands. Upon graduating in 2003, Wells immediately applied for an assistant principal position at Sprauve and was hired a few months later. She continued working in that capacity until 2006, when she moved over to Guy Benjamin School as acting principal – a position she held until 2011, when she moved back to Sprauve as principal.
“During all of these transitions, I was afforded the opportunity to grow as an administrator, and to stand on my own two feet alone without the luxury of an assistant principal,” Wells said in the Education Department news release. “I did as much as I could and was committed to doing it well – a practice that I continue to live by and will bring into this new position. I am also truly committed to making a difference in the lives of our children — being an educator requires a level of understanding, patience and willingness to confront challenges knowing that the ultimate goal is to improve teaching and learning for all children of the Virgin Islands and that will continue to be my task moving forward.”
She could not be reached for further comment.
Frett-Gregory had nice words for Smith-Barry. Despite various challenges and limited resources, she remained steadfast in her commitment to the territory’s schools and students, the commissioner said.
“She has been unwavering in her passion for learning, has pushed our students to excel beyond their own expectations and has been a staunch advocate for many of the initiatives that we are implementing today,” Frett-Gregory said.
See https://stjohnsource.com/content/news/local-news/2008/05/05/island-profile-dionne-wells
