Green Level’s assistant principal, Mrs. Boynton, is on maternity leave for three months. The spot in administration has been filled by Mr. Scott Lyons. Lyons has a long history in education and has since retired, now working as an interim principal at various schools. Green Level is so grateful that he was able to help out in Boynton’s absence, but she has left some big shoes to fill!
Lyons has worked at numerous schools in the area. He started out as a Language Arts teacher at Githens Middle School in Durham. He continued teaching English when he moved to Enloe High School in 1999. After a few years, the principal noticed Lyons’ knack for the complex task of scheduling and asked Lyons if he was interested in being an assistant principal.
“At that time, I was still working on my master’s degree. I was able to do that job as I got my Master’s Degree in English education from NC State, my original Bachelor’s Degree is from Florida State.” Said Lyons.
After a few years, Lyons moved to be principal at Ligon Middle from 2005-2009, then transitioned to Leesville Road High School for a few years, followed by a return to Enloe High School for 5 years as principal, and finally, in 2016, he finished at Heritage High School. Lyons retired in 2024 and withheld from working for the 6-month period, but Lyons did not stop his journey in youth education there.
“When you retire, in order to get your pension, you have to be out of work for 6 months. So after 6 months, I could come back and do interim jobs, where you work 70% and fill in for administrators,” Lyons said. “Like right now, I’m filling in for Mrs. Boynton, who’s on maternity leave. Or if the principal is transferring to another school, and they don’t have time to find a new principal.”
A fun fact about Mr. Lyons is that he was the interim principal at Ligon Middle School while they were searching for former assistant principal, Mr. Darren Williams.
“I’m actually his coach, so I meet with him 3 hours a month, and we talk about issues he’s going through at Ligon and discuss possible solutions,” Lyons said.
The role of an assistant principal is more than what meets the eye; there are a lot of aspects of the school that they are in charge of. Mrs. Boynton has successfully held that position this year, which makes coming in to replace her a daunting task. But Mr. Lyons is fit for the challenge. Lyons was a Principal of the Year Finalist for his success at Enloe High School, a prestigious recognition that he certainly deserved.
The main things Lyons is responsible for right now are teacher observations and IEP meetings for special education. As he leads those areas, other administrators have the ability to pick up some of his slack.
“Helping in that regard can free up the other administrators so they don’t have to do those things. That way, they can deal with a few of Mrs. Boynton’s other tasks.” Lyons said.
But there is a lot more to principalship than the basic duties. A great way for Lyons to support Green Level is to build relationships with the staff and students at the school. Lyons has a plan to get involved in this new community.
“I’ve been walking around the school. I think just walking around is one of the best things you can do, and getting into classrooms. That’s one of my favorite things to do, seeing teachers and students engage with each other.” Lyons said.
Due to Lyons’s wide range of experience at so many different schools, he finds something unique in each school where he works. At Green Level, he speaks of the staff’s kindness and inclusion, and the students’ focus.
“Green level has been very welcoming, the staff is so friendly. I walked into the front office, my first time walking in the school, and everybody was just so welcoming,” said Lyons. “And in every classroom, students are engaged with teachers; it just seems like a good, solid school.”
As Lyons continues to get acquainted at Green Level, he continues to try to form a connection with the staff and students. A fun fact about Mr. Lyons is that his passion when he was in high school was band! He carried that skill outside of high school and into college as he was a part of Florida State’s Marching Chiefs all four years.
“When we joined the ACC, my second year at Florida, I would come up here for away games and travel to NC State, Duke, and Chapel Hill. So I fell in love with the area, and that’s what encouraged me to move here after I graduated,” said Lyons.
And good thing he did, because Mr. Lyons has touched the lives of so many students at so many schools in North Carolina. Green Level is lucky to have such a well rounded interim assistant principal while Mrs. Boynton is out.
To get to know Mr. Lyons, he is in the corner office on the first floor!
