Dr. Richardson is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She
attended the public school system here at North Shore Elementary, Kirby Smith
Junior High, and then Andrew Jackson Senior High School, where she was the Tiger
Mascot in 1969.
Dr. Richardson is also a product of the post-secondary
education system here in Jacksonville. She graduated from Florida Junior
College with an AA Degree and then earned a Bachelor’s in Education/Language
Arts Major with a minor in Journalism, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and
a Doctorate’s in Educational Leadership – all from the University of North
Florida. She is a member of PDK (Phi Delta Kappa), Pi Lambda Theta, and ADK
(Alpha Delta Kappa) scholarly educational organizations. She is also a
Leadership Member of the United Way of Florida, and has supported the Relays for
Life held at her current school the past few years. She supports charitable
organizations and has a vested interest in the Leukemia Society, since her
daughter was diagnosed with the disease as a child and spent three years on
chemotherapy. Her daughter is now an adult homemaker with four children of her
own and a survivor of this dreaded disease.
Dr. Richardson is a life member of the Florida PTA and was
PTA president at San Mateo Elementary School when her children were young. She
is the parent of two children and seven grandchildren. Her Husband, Steven H.
Richardson, is a retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant who now works
as a Chief Legislative Aide for Senator Stephen Wise. Her son is a Lieutenant
with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the father of three children.
Dr. Richardson began her career with DCPS in 1985 as an
English teacher at N.B. Forrest High School, where she taught for ten years and
sponsored the yearbook for 7 of those years. She was promoted to Dean of Girls
at Terry Parker High School in 1995 and served there for 2 ½ years. From there
she was promoted to Vice Principal at Jean Ribault Senior High School where she
worked for five years. After her service at Ribault, she took off 6 months to
finish her dissertation, and returned in February 2003 to Ed White High School
as the Vice Principal. She was promoted to Principal of Baldwin Middle-Senior
High School in July 2003. Dr. Richardson received her Doctorate’s Degree from
UNF in May 2003, shortly before her appointed principalship, and remained at
Baldwin for 6 years. She is ready for a positive change to a location closer to
her home and is ecstatic about the move. She genuinely feels that she is the
right “fit” for the Mandarin community.
Dr. Richardson has implemented a Teaching Career Academy at
Baldwin and is excited about the Medical Career Academy at Mandarin. She
considers working with the public one of her strengths and is committed to
fostering a family-friendly culture at Mandarin High School. She finds great
value in the School Advisory Council, the PTSA, the Booster Organizations, and
the Career Academy Advisory Group. She has always strived to earn the Gold and
Silver School Awards, and the Five Star Award at all of her previous schools.
She intends on continuing this pursuit at Mandarin High School, along with
encouraging a Mentoring program (Motivating Mentors) to mentor the school’s
lower performing students.
Dr. Richardson believes that all children can learn and
supports the District’s vision of ensuring that all students can graduate from
high school without need of remediation in post-secondary education. She
supports the AICE and Advanced Placement Programs and believes that the College
Board Curricula provides rigorous academic expectations for students to prepare
them for college. She is a big advocate of academic enrichment and believes in
a balanced curriculum of academics, athletics, the Arts, and proper
socialization modeling.
Dr. Richardson is an ethical leader who role models the
standards that she expects of her faculty, staff, and student body. She will
bring character development to Mandarin in her own fashion and work to foster a
family-like culture where students will want to come to learn, and faculty will
want to come to teach. She is a firm and a fair leader who understands the
importance in common sense decision-making, and the importance of consistency in
actions. She believes in an Open Door Policy and welcomes parents and faculty
alike to come in and share their concerns and ideas. She loves people and she
especially loves young people, whom she has dedicated her life to serving the
past 24 years. Additionally, she taught in the young peoples’ department in her
church. She is a hard worker and an advocate for youth, not afraid of lobbying
for their educational needs. She is a proven educator and leader and has every
intention of spending many years at Mandarin.
Dr. Richardson is also a great listener and loves ideas.
She enjoys seeing new ideas work and embraces change when it is necessary, while
following the paths of research and best practices as gleaned from educational
leaders around the globe. She understands the global implications of education
today and realizes that young people need exposure to experiences and
preparatory skills far more sophisticated than those of the past. She learns
from the past, lives in the present, and plans for the future every single day
of her personal and professional career.
You are welcome to drop by and meet Dr. Richardson at an
all-day Open House/Meet and Greet on July 1st, her first official
Mustang day, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Mandarin High School. You will
be receiving a special message from Dr. Richardson on the Mandarin website
before that day. She has been in Schultz Center/District trainings ever since
she heard the great news about her transfer and plans to move into her new home
by the end of the current school week.
This is truly the beginning of a great era at Mandarin –
one of pride, honor, integrity, and excellence in student academic and social
nurturing.
