McGavock gets second interim principal this school year

An interim principal, Mildred Saffell-Smith, has led Nashville’s McGavock High School since the start of this school year, but effective immediately, a new interim is taking her place.

New McGavock Principal Karl Lang comes to the job this morning after working as director of Smaller Learning Communities for the central office of Metro Nashville Public Schools. He has previously worked as principal at Hillwood High, Cameron Middle and Baxter Alternative schools.

The tapping of Lang for the McGavock job marks one of the first major decisions made by new Director of Schools Jesse Register, who started work with this district Jan. 15.

McGavock is Tennessee’s largest high school with more than 2,700 students, a little more than half of whom are considered economically disadvantaged by Tennessee Report Card data. Saffell-Smith was hired as McGavock principal this summer, in a decision attributed primarily to the state Department of Education.

DOE accountability chief Connie Smith, who has orchestrated many of the changes made at Metro schools in recent years, said at the time of Saffell-Smith’s hiring that she recommended a national search take place for a permanent McGavock principal.

Although the state put Saffell-Smith in place, her replacement was selected by Register, DOE spokesperson Amanda Maynord Anderson confirmed.

“Jesse and Connie had talked about that last week, and that was completely Dr. Register’s decision,” Anderson said. “At this point, Connie is completely hands-off.”

Register plans to keep Lang in place until the end of this school year, according to Olivia Brown, a spokesperson for the district. The McGavock principal position will be listed with other MNPS vacancies, Brown said, and Lang is free to apply for the job permanently if he chooses.

School board member Steve Glover, whose district includes McGavock, said he is pleased with Register’s choice of Lang. As to whether the district will conduct the national search Smith initially recommended, Glover said the choice is Register’s.

“Dr. Register is now our director of schools. He’s in charge of all of these decisions,” Glover said. “[Lang] understands the diverse population at McGavock. … He obviously has a passion for small learning communities.”

The replacement of Saffell-Smith with Lang was announced to McGavock faculty and staff Thursday afternoon, Brown said.