VIDALIA &045; Many changes are taking place in the Concordia Parish School District, but most are not drastic changes &045; more like trading places.

Concordia boasts three new principals in its district, but none is new to the district &045; just new to his or her post.

These principals are taking notes from their interim superintendent, Fred Butcher, who also has made his way around the district before landing the temporary position.

And Monday, the new principals, along with administrative assistants and administrative designees, became acquainted with the many tasks they have before them. Department heads throughout central office gave the new administrators an in-service to tell them about the basic things they will need to know about their jobs.

This is the first year the district provided the in-service, and new Ferriday High School principal Debra Harris said she is happy to take the guidance.

&uot;It makes a difference because a lot of things you think you know you don’t know,&uot; Harris said.

Even the more experienced like new Vidalia Junior High School principal Henry Murphy said this &uot;one-day crash course on being a principal&uot; helps to start them all in the right direction.

&uot;Even though I’ve been in school a long, long time, it’s different,&uot; Murphy said.

And this year, Murphy and two others get to see how different this job will be from their last.

Vidalia Lower Elementary

Paul Nelson moves from assistant principal of Vidalia Junior High to principal of Vidalia Lower, what he calls a move that goes &uot;hand-in-hand&uot; with his home life &045; father of a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old.

This is Nelson’s 12th year in education and 10th in the parish, having taught social studies and special education and coached baseball in Monterey before holding the assistant principal position for five years.

Nelson said he is looking forward to the change from assistant principal, where he served more as disciplinarian. Now, Nelson said he will look forward to working with the teachers and curriculum.

&uot;That’s why you get in education to begin with &045; teaching and learning,&uot; Nelson said, something he looks forward to delving into.

Nelson said the school already is a successful one and he hopes to just improve on that.

Vidalia Junior High School

Murphy moves from a three-year term as assistant principal at Vidalia High School to principal at Vidalia Junior High. Murphy enters his 31st year in education and his 20th in the parish.

Before serving as assistant principal at Vidalia High, Murphy was assistant principal at Ferriday Junior High for one semester. Prior to being an administrator, Murphy worked with the adult education program in the parish for eight years and taught math and computer science for nine years at Ferriday High School.

The Natchez native received his bachelor’s degree at Jackson State, his teaching certificate from the University of Southern

Mississippi, a masters in math at Alcorn State University and a Ph.D. at Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Murphy said the Vidalia schools always have been very successful academically with test scores above the state average and Vidalia Junior High is the &uot;kind of school you just have to keep things going.&uot;

His main concerns for his tenure is making sure the building has all necessary physical and maintenance concerns taken care of and the &uot;No Child Left Behind&uot; act is met in full force. The main concentration point for the act is making sure the teachers are &uot;certified and highly qualified&uot; as the act states.

Ferriday High School

Harris moves from assistant principal at Ferriday Junior High to principal at Ferriday High School Before her two years as the junior high, Harris was a counselor at Monterey for four years and a teacher of fourth through sixth grade at Ridgecrest Elementary.

Harris graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and gained her teacher certification there as well. Then, she earned her master’s degree at Alcorn State University and also was certified as a counselor there.

Harris said the junior high level prepared her for the high school level.

&uot;It’ an excitable change,&uot; Harris said.