Story By Katie Hightower

When Jennifer Williams was interviewed by the Scottsboro City Schools Board of Education, she demonstrated her determination to land the job with research she had done about Scottsboro prior to the interview. She watched previous board meetings, looked up the school system’s report card and gathered other statistics about the system to prepare for the meeting.

“I thought I should know everything prior to the interview,” said Williams. “I’m all-in, so I wanted to be prepared.”

Through her 24 years of experience in education, Williams got to know a lot of people in Jackson County and Scottsboro, and she liked the area. She spent 20 years with DeKalb County schools and the past four years with Guntersville City Schools. North Alabama was her home, and it’s where she wanted to stay.

Williams’ husband, Stanley Williams, has worked in education for 29 years. He currently teaches at Plainview, where their youngest son, Jay, planned to finish his senior year. As a soon-to-be empty-nester, Williams felt the timing for the superintendent opportunity was good.

“I had my eye on North Alabama,” Williams said. “When I saw the position opened, I liked that it was a city system similar to Guntersville. Scottsboro has great academics and athletics programs. Everyone I talked to had wonderful things to say about Scottsboro.”

Williams said the school board followed a standard selection process comparable to other schools during its superintendent search. She said she was nervous about the interview because it was something she had never done before. She enjoyed the interview and talking to the board as a whole. Overall, she appreciated the process.

During the interview, Williams laid out her 100-Day Plan, which includes creating partnerships with the community, building relationships and learning more about the school system. She said her first 30 days will be spent getting to know Scottsboro by not only meeting staff, students and board members, but also meeting with stakeholders and listening to their concerns.

“I’m looking forward to getting started and meeting with the staff and students,” said Williams. She said she looked forward to hearing from the community. While the transition can cause anxiety, Williams said she was excited to put faces with names.

“It’s just an honor knowing that my work is validated and the board selected and chose me. It’s a responsibility that I take very, very seriously,” said Williams.