Dr. Mark Jones is serving in his second year as the principal of
Franklin S. Whaley Middle School in the Compton Unified School
District. Before this administrative
assignment he was the principal of the Horace Mann School (K-8) in the
Beverly Hills Unified School District for two years & the Thomas A.
Edison Elementary School
in the Pasadena Unified School District for four years. He brings
a wealth of experience as a regular and special education teacher and
as
an elementary administrator. Dr. Jones has been an educator for
over
fifteen years and has taught students from the elementary through
graduate
levels. He is also currently an adjuct professor of educational
leadership and administrative technology at Naional University.
From 1995 to 1997 he was a Program Director for the highly regarded Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth based in Baltimore, Maryland. He has extensive experience in managing and directing curricular design teams, planning and presentation of staff and teacher training, technology and budgets development, and implementation of large-scale grants. His coordination of NASA’s "KIDSAT" program involved presentations at local, state and federal levels. His work was also involved a summer project funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at Johns Hopkins.
Dr. Jones holds a Cum Laude Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama; he received his Magna Cum Laude Master of Arts degree in Youth Counseling and Education. Following completion of his Doctorate in Theological Education at Grant College in Birmingham, Alabama, he completed his Suma Cum Laude Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership Administration at California State University in Los Angeles.
Dr. Jones has spearheaded grants for his school site including $100,000 from Johns Hopkins University, $1.2 million from the California Department of Education in technology, literacy, and school community-policing partnerships, and $400,000 for Healthy Start. He has also tapped foundations for $300,000 in support of academic programs at Thomas A. Edison School.
Widely regarded as an innovative, compassionate and dynamic administrator, he has high expectations for staff and students. References from those with whom Dr. Jones has worked describe him as "a superb educator, a splendid human being, a gifted administrator, and highly knowledgeable about educational research, technology and effective instructional practices.”
Dr. Jones is the father of three children and his wife is a school
psychologist
and social worker.