Brings passion and wealth of instructional and leadership experience to the role
Feb. 23, 2024—Dr. Heather Benfield has been named the new Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) assistant superintendent of middle schools effective March 4, 2024.
Benfield, a JCPS graduate and current executive administrator in the district’s High Schools division, said she “embraces with passion” JCPS’ innovative approach to ensure all middle school students can fully recognize their academic potential.
“I am delighted and honored to join the middle school team and continue the incredible work already happening for students across JCPS in our middle schools,” Benfield said. “I look forward to the expansion of Explore in our middle schools, deepening our focus on literacy and student achievement, and the future of our middle schools in our community.”
Benfield, an educator for more than 20 years, has a wealth of instructional and leadership experience that includes classroom teaching, administration, school transformation and systems planning, K-12 Career and Technical Education (CTE) exploration, and educator and leadership development.
Benfield joined JCPS in 2018 as a specialist in systems improvement and planning. In that role, her team received recognition for creation and implementation of district-wide Comprehensive Systems Reviews as a KDE Best Practice at the 2021 Continuous Improvement Summit.
In 2021, Benfield moved into her current role as the JCPS executive administrator for high schools serving magnet, alternative, and specialized-choice high schools.
Prior to joining JCPS, Benfield led K-64 Learning as the executive director of student success, a K-12 CTE exploration catalyst and an adult multi-ramp credentialing pipeline. She also worked as a principal for eight years at the high school level and served as director of school development for North Carolina New Schools, a state-wide think tank for school transformation focused on literacy, numeracy, sense of belonging, and improved academic outcomes for students.
“For the past two and a half years, Dr. Benfield has successfully supervised the principals of our high school magnet/alternative/choice (MAC) schools,” said Robert Moore, JCPS chief of schools. “Combined with her previous experience as a building principal and district leader in North Carolina and JCPS, she is well prepared to lead our middle school team. Her wealth of knowledge around school improvement and systems will bring about the positive student outcomes we strive for in JCPS.”
Benfield earned a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s degree in executive leadership, both from Gardner-Webb University. She also has a bachelor’s degree in secondary teaching from Bellarmine University and was previously a National Board Certified Teacher.
Benfield describes herself as a vision-focused leader who is collaborative and committed to innovation, transparent communication, and a growth mindset. It is that passion for innovation and forward thinking that lead her to apply for the assistant superintendent role, she said.
“Our shared vision of Every Student Ready ensures that middle school students are academically ready and prepared through career-interest exploration to be successful in high school and beyond,” she said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
By Juliann Morris