New principal for Wakefield H.S.

The Arlington School Board Thursday night appointed a new principal for Wakefield High School. Christian Willmore, the school’s assistant principal since 2002, will take the post in July.

Willmore is a fluent Spanish speaker who taught in the District before coming to Arlington in 1995. He will replace Doris Jackson, a 20-year veteran of the school system.

As Wakefield’s principal for the last eight years, Jackson was recognized for setting high standards and expanding access to college level courses for minority students. The county’s most racially and economically diverse high school posted steady improvement on standardized tests during her tenure. Last year, 39 percent of graduating Wakefield seniors had at least one passing score on an AP test -- more than twice the national average.

Wakefield made national headlines last fall, when President Barack Obama broadcast a back-to-school address from the school’s gymnasium.

-- Michael Alison Chandler