Connie Williams

Dr Connie Williams was the first principal of Hoover High School and superintendent of Hoover City Schools from 2004 to 2006.

Education and early career

Williams earned her B.S. in education from the University of Alabama in 1970, her M.A. in education from UAB in 1976, and her doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1980.

Williams served on the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1979 until 1984. She then served as principal at Irondale Junior High School and then Hewitt-Trussville Middle School before being hired in July 1989 to serve as principal of Hewitt-Trussville High School. In January 1994, Williams was hired to serve as the first principal of Hoover High School.

Career at Hoover

Williams became principal of Hoover High School when the school opened in 1994. She continued in that position until summer 1998, when she was promoted to assistant superintendent for human resources and administration.

Williams was promoted from assistant superintendent for Hoover to deputy superintendent in February 2004. The promotion was done primarily to keep her from pursuing the position of superintendent of Sylacauga. When Dr. Jack Farr went on medical leave in April prior to his official retirement in June, she was named interim superintendent. She was one of three who applied for the position permanently. The Hoover Board of Education decided to skip the interview process and unanimously agreed to hire her in August 2004. She was initially given a four-year contract for the position, but the contract was extended by an additional year in August 2005.

Firing

On June 23, 2006, Hoover School Board president Bill Veitch and new member A.W. Bolt met with Williams in her office to tell her the board wanted a new superintendent soon. On June 29, 2006, the Hoover School Board voted 4-0 in a closed meeting to terminate Williams contract. Some of the more than 250 people who had come to the meeting hoping for open discussion jeered the decision when it was announced. Under the terms of Williams' contract, the Hoover School Board had to pay her over $500,000 for her salary and deferred compensation through July 2009. Andy Craig was named interim superintendent.

No reason was given for Williams' firing at the time and none was required under the terms of her contract. In the weeks after, reasons such as philosophical differences and poor communication were given. A specific incident cited was a disagreement over paying new Spain Park High School football coaches for spring training.

Consultant

In July 2006, Williams was hired as a consultant by the Birmingham School Board to help reorganize the Birmingham schools' central office. In September, in addition to consulting for Birmingham, Williams became a consultant for the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach as the two consider leaving the Baldwin County school system. In April 2011, Williams was hired as one of three consultants during the search for a new Hewitt-Trussville High School principal.

References

• MacDonald, Ginny. (January 11, 1994). "Hewitt-Trussville principal is hired for new high school." The Birmingham News.
• "High school to get new principal." (July 2, 1998). The Birmingham News.
• "School Board Promotes Assistant Superintendent." (February 10, 2004). The Birmingham News.
• Hoover Schools at the Hoover Chamber of Commerce website. Accessed August 11, 2006.
• "Williams to Lead Hoover Schools." (August 6, 2004). The Birmingham News.
• "Schools chief says board wants her out; Williams says Hoover board members want new leader now, Says board member calls 2009 retirement '3 years too late'." (June 28, 2006). The Birmingham News.
• "Hoover schools' Williams fired Decision jeered after unanimous vote." (June 30, 2006). The Birmingham News.
• "Football coaches' pay cited in firing of Williams." (July 19, 2006). The Birmingham News.
• Hickerson, Patrick. (August 1, 2006). "Mims hires ex-Hoover chief Williams for consultant job." The Birmingham News.
• Stock, Erin. (October 25, 2006). "Baldwin cities get school counsel from ex-Hoover superintendent." The Birmingham News.
• "Hewitt-Trussville High School Principal Search Process." (April 13, 2011). Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce.
• "Connie Williams | LinkedIn." (n.d.). LinkedIn.

Preceded by: N/A	Hoover High Principal 1994–1998	Succeeded by: Gene Godwin
Preceded by: Jack Farr	Hoover Superintendent 2004–2006	Succeeded by: Andy Craig