July 12, 2023
Fulton County Schools would like to say "welcome" to our newly-hired principals and administrative staff. We also offer our "congratulations" to existing employees that move into these positions as well. We are proud to present our newest team members here and on our FCS Social Media.
Dr. Shannon Kersey
Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Teaching
Dr. Shannon N. Kersey is an accomplished educator with over 25 years of successful experience in teaching and educational leadership. She has a strong educational background, holding a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University. During her career, Dr. Kersey has served in various capacities, including as a high school English teacher, elementary and high school assistant principal, coordinator of professional learning, director of curriculum & instruction, high school principal and adjunct university professor. She has served in four different Georgia school districts at both the school and central office level with roles spanning support for pre-k through 12th grade in diverse communities.
Since 2011, Dr. Kersey has served as Principal of Alpharetta High School in Fulton County Schools. During her tenure that spans over a decade, she led the school through incremental yet impressive academic outcomes for students as evidenced in academic achievement, graduation rate and college readiness. Under Dr. Kersey’s leadership, Alpharetta HS has become one of the top schools in Georgia and the Nation as measured by US News & World Reports, Newsweek, Niche, GreatSchools and College Board. Significantly, during her tenure, Dr. Kersey recruited and retained an esteemed faculty for AHS that in 2023 earned the prestigious accolade by Niche as having the #2 Best High School Teachers in Georgia out of 427. In 2015, Dr. Kersey was awarded Fulton County Schools’ NWLC Principal of the Year. In 2021, Dr. Kersey led AHS to earn School Governance Team of the Year by Georgia’s Charter System Foundation. In 2022, Dr. Kersey was awarded Administrator of the Year by the Georgia Association of Student Councils, and in 2023, Dr. Kersey earned Advocate of the Year by the Fulton Schools Counselors Association.
Dr. Kersey lives with her loving husband and their two sons in Alpharetta where both boys have matriculated through Fulton County Schools. Born and raised in Georgia, Dr. Kersey is an avid Braves, Hawks and Falcons fan. Her older son attends LSU as a videographer for their football program, so she is now a Tigers fan; her younger son is committed to play baseball at Mercer, so she now is also a Bears fan! Dr. Kersey is excited about this opportunity to transition her passion, knowledge and skills to the role of Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Teaching in Fulton County Schools.
Shamona Harrell
Director of College, Career, and Student Supports
Shamona Harrell is an accomplished educational leader with over 19 years of experience supporting schools with diverse student populations in the areas of academic, college-career, and social-emotional development. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University, Shamona went on to earn a master’s degree in special education and later, a master’s in School Counseling. Shamona began her longstanding career in education as a history teacher within Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She later joined Fulton County Schools in 2006 as a Special Education Teacher and eventually went on to hold the position of school counselor and head counselor at both Banneker High School and Riverwood International Charter School.
Most recently, Shamona has served as Coordinator of Secondary School Counseling and has developed a reputation for being a strong leader with exceptional collaborative, problem-solving, and program development skills. Outside of work, she loves traveling, hiking, fishing, cooking, and spending time with her family and close friends.
Kerri-Ann Williams
Director of K-5 Literacy
Kerri-Ann Williams has been serving students, staff, and families as an educator for 20 years. Over the course of her career, Mrs. Williams has held several roles in Broward County, Florida and Cobb County, Georgia as an elementary and middle school teacher and as an Instructional Coach. For the past 9 years, she has served and led in Fulton County School District. In Fulton County Schools, Mrs. Williams has been an Assistant Administrator at Woodland Elementary, an Assistant Principal at Northwood Elementary, and Principal at Ocee Elementary. In 2019, Mrs. Williams was recognized as the Northeast Learning Community Assistant Principal of the year. During her tenure at Ocee Elementary, student outcomes in ELA, Math, and Science increased and surpassed pre-pandemic performance levels. Mrs. Williams led her staff in the successful implementation of the structured literacy approach that is the cornerstone of the district’s LETRS learning and worked alongside the staff to put their new learning into practice. Mrs. Williams has been successful in reducing teacher attrition to provide consistency in instructional practices and increased outcomes for students. Most recently, Mrs. Williams completed the requirements to be nationally certified as a principal mentor.
Mrs. Williams is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education. She has a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida and an Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia. Mrs. Williams and her husband of 22 years are the proud parents of four young men: two Fulton graduates, a rising high school junior, and a rising 8th grader. When she is not playing board games with her family, you will probably find Mrs. Williams baking up a yummy treat or trying a new recipe.
Mrs. Williams is deeply invested in the great work that Fulton has been leading when it comes to ensuring that “every child reads” and is looking forward to moving out of literacy learning recovery and into sustained excellence in evidence-based literacy practice.
Amanda Swerdlow
Director of Program Evaluation
Amanda Swerdlow brings over 20 years in education to her new role as Director of Program Evaluation. She served as a classroom teacher for over a decade before joining Fulton as a CST in 2012. Amanda then supported the Northeast Learning Community and District as a Program Specialist. She has spent the past two years as a Program Evaluation Analyst, where she brought these experiences to the team through “culture of evaluation” sessions for leaders. Amanda is also a nominated fellow of the Strategic Data Project, based at the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, examining early warning indicators for the elementary to middle school transition. Amanda is excited about the opportunity to increase the connectedness of the Department of Program Evaluation, helping those across the district understand the department’s role and bringing in the voices of those doing the work of programs.