ATLANTA — Westlake High School is welcoming a new principal, school officials confirmed on Thursday.
Jarvis Adams, an Augusta native, has been chosen to lead the school, according to Fulton County Schools.
Adams has more than 24 years of experience in education, according to the district. He’s also not new to the Westlake family; Adams served as assistant principal there from 2013 to 2018.
“It was during this time he was able to support the improvement in teaching and learning outcomes, including a schoolwide initiative of a balanced assessment calendar, a 19% increase of student mastery on the US History Georgia Milestones, a 26% increase of student mastery on the Economics Georgia Milestones, and an outperformance of the national trend on the Advanced Placement exams in Social Studies for African American students,” according to a Fulton County Schools press release.
From there, he moved to Camp Creek Middle School where he served as principal from 2018-2021. During his time at CCMS, the district said he increased the school’s performance on the Georgia Milestones by over 20% in all content areas. Under Adams’ leadership, CCMS was constantly recognized by the “Governor’s Office of Student Achievement as a Beating the Odds School.”
Adams was a social studies teacher and coach for 16 years in North Carolina prior to joining the DeKalb educational system, the district said.
Adams earned his undergraduate degree from Fayetteville State University. He then received two advanced degrees from Mercer University.
Adams joins the team months after Jamar Robinson, the beloved previous principal of Westlake High School, died trying to save his wife in a tragic drowning incident in Puerto Rico that took her life, as well.
According to a press release, Adams plans to use his extensive knowledge in education “to honor the legacy of past leaders while steering the school toward the future.”