Dr. Reginald R. Williams, Sr.
Dr. Reginald R. Williams, Sr. has over twenty-nine years in education. He is presently the Principal at Overton High School in Memphis, Tennessee. He has increased the enrollment by 350 students and increased the SBB budget by nearly 1 million dollars in his short tenure.
He was a finalist for Memphis Shelby County School’s District Principal of the Year 2020-2021
Dr. Williams has earned eight different certifications in the following disciplines: Mathematics 7-12, General Science 7-12, Biology 7-12, Geography 7-12, Earth and Space Science 7-12, Supervisor of Attendance, Administration and Supervision K thru 12, and Superintendent, but he has spent the majority of his time teaching math and science at Westwood High, Vance Jr. High, and Bolton High Schools. He coached Vance Jr. High boys to the city basketball runner-up championship and during his eight years coaching the varsity boys basketball teams to a 198-83 record, they played in six district championships, 3 regional finals and two state tournaments. He has previously served as an assistant principal at Elmo Park Middle and Central High school before earning his first principal ship at Kirby High in 2006.
Dr. Williams has received many honors and awards and made over 100 presentations locally, across the state of Tennessee, regionally, and nationally. The award about which he is most proud is a team award: Kirby High school was awarded the EPIC Gold award three years in a row (2007-2010) for outstanding academic achievement. Dr. Williams told his staff, “We are the only high school this size to be recognized for this type of award not only for one year, not two years, but more.” His first high school moved from the High Priority list to Reward School (2014). That signifies that Kirby High was recognized as one of the top 5 percent of schools in the state of Tennessee for academic achievement. Kirby High was also national recognized by USA Today (2013) as one of the Best High Schools in America.
In his short tenure at Memphis Academy of Health Sciences High School, the enrollment increased, ACT scores increased 30%, and senior scholarships increased 300% in three years, and graduation rates have hovered over 90 percent. They recently moved from a level 2 school to a level 4 school in a 2-year period. They were recognized by U.S. News and Newsweek as one of the Best High Schools in America in 2015. Recently, an article appeared in a regional magazine about MAHS accomplishments affectionately known as the “A School Without Bells.”
Finally, as a twenty-nine-year educator, serving fifteen of those as a principal at three high schools, Dr. Williams feels it is vital we learn how to work with and among difficult people. Interestingly enough, we cannot run from every job, every church, or even every family member. But for the betterment of that organization, he has noted that we need to find a way to accept that person’s differences and or opinions even in the tough situations for the betterment of the organization, church, or family. Dr. Williams would like to share with the readers lessons he has been taught and has learned about dealing with difficult people during his various professional experiences. He is an author of two books which can be found on the following website: drrwilliams.com
The 7 Keys to Success: A Comprehensive Guide for Urban School Development 2/15
(Successful Strategies working within Urban Schools)
Strategies for Working with and Among Difficult People 8/18