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Meet Myra Whitney
If
life were a circus, you might find Myra Whitney walking the tightrope
and juggling a half-dozen balls … and doing it all with grace
and a big smile on her face.
As Academic Superintendent for Area 3 Elementary Schools, Mrs. Whitney gets a lot of practice juggling myriad tasks and duties while balancing the demands of a professional educator, administrator, wife and mother.
Born in Humboldt, Tennessee, Myra Whitney joined Memphis City Schools in 1976 as a Special Education teacher. She has served the district as an elementary school teacher, a CLUE teacher and an assistant principal, as well as serving for five years as a Cluster Leader, working with 14 K- 12 schools. She has also been a Supervising Teacher at the Campus School at the University of Memphis, where she earned her bachelor of science degree in special education and rehabilitation and a master of science degree in educational administration and leadership. In addition, she has earned graduate hours above the master’s level at the University of Memphis and Harvard University.
Mrs. Whitney has never been content to simply juggle one or two projects or goals. She has immersed herself in continuing to learn and to master various aspects of public education administration and issues, working as a RISE Project Board member, participating in Harvard University and Danforth Principals’ academy offerings at various locations across the country and actively participating in ASCD, NAESP, TAESP, Phi Delta Kappa and MABSE. She is a member of the 2006 annual host committee for the National Staff Development Council.
Among her honors are being selected as Role Model Principal of the Year and, as a teacher, Outstanding Special Educator. She was also selected as a member of the Leadership Memphis Class of 1996 and has been a LEADS Principal/Assistant Principal.
She is a member of the St. Andrew AME Church, where she served as Director of Christian Education and served on the church’s Kingdom Building Steering Committee.
Mrs. Whitney says her proudest accomplishments are balancing her family and children in a stable home life with a career about which she is most passionate. Her family includes husband Al, a 16-year-old son, Bryson, and 14-year-old twin sons, Stephen and Matthew.
