Two of Gwinnett County’s elementary schools will be receiving new principals, while the North Metro Academy of Performing Arts will keep its current principal.
On Thursday night, the Gwinnett County Board of Education accepted the designations of Joe Sanfilippo as the new principal of Pharr Elementary School, Monica Ball as the new principal of Graves Elementary School, and Dr. Rodriguez Johnson as the principal of the North Metro Academy of Performing Arts.
Sanfilippo has worked in GCPS since 2006 and has served a variety of roles.
In his time at GCPS, he has served as a 3rd and 5th-grade teacher from 2006-2012 at Corley Elementary School; an assistant principal from 2014-2015 at Hopkins Elementary; an assistant principal from 2015-2016 at Graves Elementary School; and an assistant principal at Hopkins Elementary School from 2016 until Thursday’s announcement.
Sanfilippo achieved his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Medaille College, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Phoenix Online, a specialist’s degree in educational leadership from Georgia State University, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Georgia State.
Ball has worked in GCPS for over 25 years. She began at Cedar Hill Elementary School as a third-grade teacher, where she served for ten years. Soon after, she served as an interrelated resource teacher and third-grade teacher at Winn Holt Elementary School from 2004-2009; Winn Holt Elementary’s assistant principal from 2009-2016; and Rosebud Elementary School’s principal from 2016-2020. For the past year, she has served as a principal on special assignment in GCPS’ Human Resources and Talent Management Office.
Ball earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in marketing from Clark Atlanta University, a master’s degree in early childhood education from Brenau University, and a specialist’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
On the other hand, Johnson has already been serving as North Metro Academy of Performing Arts’ principal since 2017. As the school transitions from a charter school to an elementary theme school under Gwinnett County Public Schools, he has been re-appointed to continue his work and lead the school in a time of transition.
Johnson has been with GCPS since 2006 and originally started as a special education teacher at Five Forks Middle School from 2006-2012. Later, he served as an assistant principal at Simonton Elementary School from 2012-2014 and was an assistant principal at Knight Elementary School from 2014-2017.
Johnson achieved his bachelor’s degree in history from Tennessee State University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Ohio State University, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Clark Atlanta University.
