Lynchburg City Schools is pleased to welcome Dr. Jay C. McClain to the school division’s senior leadership team. Dr. McClain will take on the role of Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, in place of Mr. Al Coleman who is retiring in June after more than 40 years serving the staff and students of Lynchburg City Schools.
Dr. McClain comes to Lynchburg after serving as Teach For America’s Vice President of the D. C. Region’s Teaching and Leading Continuum. He is also a former director for Cluster III of the Fairfax County Public Schools and principal of two large elementary schools. He has worked in educational environments with very diverse populations and has led schools with various programs and student needs.
“Dr. McClain has a dedication to helping all teachers and students succeed, and I am confident he will have a positive impact on Lynchburg City Schools’ academic growth,” said Superintendent Dr. Scott Brabrand. “His leadership experience in instructional coaching and school improvement methods will help the Curriculum and Instruction department better meet the classroom needs of the teachers and the academic needs of every child.”
- At Teach for America, Dr. McClain supervised a staff that trained and coached teachers. He worked with universities and other school districts to align training and coaching methods with school and teacher needs. He also led the development of community partnerships and redesigned the internal organization to increase effectiveness.
- As Director of Cluster III in Fairfax County, Dr. McClain assisted in supervising 25 schools and principals with more than 20,000 students. He developed and trained staff across 200 schools on a new approach for strategic planning; he co-led leadership teams with a focus on professional learning communities and the use of data to guide improvement; and he trained staff on teacher coaching methods.
- As principal of two elementary schools in Falls Church, Virginia, he led schools with student enrollments ranging from 700 to almost 1,000 students. At Haycock Elementary he led and coordinated instruction of approximately 700 students for the general education program, autism and special education program, and the gifted/talented center program. During his leadership, students consistently exceeded a 90 percent pass rate with high levels of advanced proficiency on state tests. At Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, he led instruction of a very diverse population of nearly 1,000 students. During his leadership here, the school saw improved test results, including an 8 percentage point increase in math in his final year at the school. At both schools, he emphasized and encouraged the importance of arts and sciences in general curriculum.
Dr. McClain received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University in 1990, his Master’s of Education degree from the University of Virginia in 1996, and his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Virginia in May 2013.
Dr. McClain’s success in both high- and low-poverty school environments make him an excellent choice for meeting the needs of Every Child, By Name and By Need, to Graduation in Lynchburg City Schools.