Eddie R. Armstead Jr. was chosen July 11 by the Thomasville City Board of Education as the new principal of Thomasville High School.
He recently served as principal of Thomasville Middle School. A resident of Thomasville for 20 years, he is the first African-American educator who will serve as THS principal.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the Thomasville City School System for the opportunity to serve as principal at Thomasville High School,” Armstead said. “I am delighted to accept the offer, and I look forward to continuing the work to make TCS district the best district that it can possibly be.
“The goals that have been outlined match my abilities, and I consider it a privilege to have been selected to be the new principal at Thomasville High School. I am eager to make contributions to THS and to work with everyone on the faculty and staff to make THS a success.
“Since I became an administrator at TCS in 2022, my journey has been nothing short of amazing,” he said. “I have received support from all staff personnel, teachers, community members, parents, and students. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a group of people that supported the vision that was set before them and then worked collaboratively to accomplish the goals. I am positive that we will have the exact same experience at THS.
“There are exceptional educators in this district, and I am thankful to be a part of the great things that are happening and even more excited about our future endeavors. I am committed to providing a safe and positive learning experience that will empower both our teachers and our students.
“We will continue to be committed to excellence,” Armstead said. “I am sure that we will all encounter challenges along the way; but through collaboration and dedication, we can achieve anything. I would like to encourage all educators in the TCS district to challenge our students academically to perform at the highest level possible. I am asking each member of the Tiger Family to commit to being an active participant in the educational process so that we can shape and mold the lives of every individual in our learning community.
“I envision Thomasville High School as an institution of higher learning where everyone seeks to challenge existing boundaries by inspiring courage and curiosity. At THS, we will be committed to changing lives and empowering students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners. It is our hope that these expectations will result in a more successful and knowledgeable school community. I look forward to working with each of you this year.”
Armstead was born in Grove Hill to a family of 12 children and graduated from Clarke County High School in 1992. He was inspired to go into education by his high school basketball/track coach Earlie Hightower. Hightower was a mentor who spent valuable time with Armstead while in middle and high school. “He had a positive interaction with me and encouraged me to excel in sports.”
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Talladega College in 1998. He would later earn Master’s degrees in Continuing Education and Instructional Leadership from the University of West Alabama in Livingston.
Armstead has worked as an Adult Education Instructor at the Thomasville campus of Alabama Southern Community College (now Coastal Alabama). He also taught science at G.P. Austin Middle School in Linden. He then moved to Linden High School as a biology teacher and basketball coach.
He also served as assistant principal from 2014 until becoming principal of Choctaw High School in Butler in 2018. He would go on to serve as principal until 2022.
Armstead and his wife Adella, a native of Thomasville, have two children. When he has off time available, he enjoys listening to music and watching sports, especially playing basketball