The 2017-18 Interim Middle School administrators, from left, Emmie Treadwell, Park Lockrow, and Priscilla Birdsall
Veteran faculty members Priscilla Birdsall, Park Lockrow, and Emmie Treadwell have been named the interim Administrative Leadership Team in the Baylor Middle School for 2017-18.
The three will replace Middle School Head Mike Drew, who has accepted a new position at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla. According to Baylor Headmaster Scott Wilson '75, the school will begin a national search for his successor with the goal of naming a new middle school head by Jan. 1, 2018. More details about each interim team member's specific role will be communicated to parents at a later date.
"Thankfully, Baylor is blessed to have an extraordinary team of teachers, administrators, and student support professionals who shepherd our students from their first day of school through eighth grade graduation," said Mr. Wilson. "I am especially grateful to be able to call on these three exceptional educators to lead the Middle School in the coming year. Of course, they would be the first to say that the most important work performed in the Middle School is done by our faculty every day. Still, I am comforted to be able to rely on this team and their collective 75 years of experience at Baylor, and I look forward to their leadership in the Middle School."
Ms. Birdsall is a 26-year Baylor veteran as a teacher and Middle School dean of students, has worked closely with the Middle School head related to all aspects of Middle School life, and has successfully implemented numerous student leadership initiatives that have become part of the fabric of the Middle School. She has served Baylor in numerous other capacities through the years, including the Faculty Forum (now the Faculty Advisory Council), the Gender Committee, and the Emergency and Security Committee. Ms. Birdsall also coached girls soccer from 1991 – 2004, including a successful stint as head coach. Prior to coming to Baylor, Ms. Birdsall worked at Avon Old Farms School (Conn.), The American School in Switzerland, and the Pomfret School (Conn.). She serves on the board of the Independent School Gender Project, and she is a member of the Vestry of Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church. She graduated from William Smith College with a B.A. in history. She is married to veteran faculty member Grant Wood, and they have a daughter, Jessica ’13.
Mr. Lockrow is a 37-year Baylor veteran who has served with distinction in numerous capacities. He has taught in both Upper and Middle Schools, and his eighth grade Ethics class has become an important staple in the Baylor student experience. Mr. Lockrow is also one of the most successful coaches in Baylor history, having served as both head and assistant tennis coach. He has also coached cross country. Mr. Lockrow has held numerous leadership positions at Baylor including tenures as History Department chair and Middle School head. Mr. Lockrow graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a B.S. in psychology and he earned his Juris Doctorate from Florida State University. He is married to Carol Lockrow, and they have three grown children, Dr. Jason Lockrow '98, Jennett '99, and Caroline Parulski ’01.
Ms. Treadwell is completing her eleventh year at Baylor this spring. During her tenure at Baylor, Ms. Treadwell has taught mathematics in the seventh and eighth grades, and is currently teaching both Leadership Exploration and Research and Communication. She has also served as a dorm parent and Walkabout instructor. Ms. Treadwell recently co-chaired Baylor’s re-accreditation process and also served on the Board of Trustees’ strategic planning committee. A Chattanooga native and an alumna of Girls Preparatory School, she graduated from Auburn University with a degree in elementary education and earned her M. Ed. in middle grades from Wesleyan College. Prior to coming to Baylor, she taught for four years in Macon, Ga. The daughter of Baylor’s Math Department Chair Marti Wayland, Ms. Treadwell is married to Ty, and they have two children, Frank and Mamie.