Four veteran educators, all with at least master’s degrees in education, have been appointed and confirmed as parishwide assistant principals for the 2009-2010 school year.

Candice O’Meallie Hickman, Toni L. Rich, Raphael Tillman and Kimberly R. Vanderklis will all enter the administrative program where they will serve in the capacity of assistant principal at various schools while receiving experience in administration.

The St. Tammany Parish School Board confirmed the four at a special meeting Thursday night. Hickman thanked the board for a “new and exciting opportunity for professional growth.” She said as a graduate of the school system, she is looking forward to serving the system and becoming a better professional. She holds a master’s plus 30, a master of education in curriculum and instruction degree and a bachelor of arts degree in elementary and special education from Southeastern Louisiana University.

In addition, she taught at Magnolia Trace Elementary School from August 2003 to May 2006 and at Woodlake Elementary School from 2006 to the present. She is a DIBELS assessor and a student teacher mentor and has served on parish level curriculum writing teams and on various school committees.

Rich holds a master’s degree in education administration and a bachelor of arts degree in English education from the University of New Orleans. Her professional career has been spent at Salmen High School, first as a teacher beginning in 1995 and currently is the ninth-grade academy coordinator. She serves as a LATAAP mentor and assessor and on various school committees and served as a member of the school system English curriculum writing team.

Rich thanked the board for this “opportunity to travel a new and exciting path.”

Tillman, the health education teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at Fontainebleau High School, said, “I have spent a wonderful first year here and am looking forward to many more years. I have worked very hard to get to this position in my career.”

Tillman holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Sam Houston State University, a master of science degree in human performance from Texas Southern University, and a bachelor of arts degree in human performance and health science from Rice University in Houston. His career in education began at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in Houston as a teacher, coach and athletic director from 2000-2002. He was then teacher and interim assistant principal at Janowski Elementary School in Houston from 2002-2007. During the 2007-2008 school year he was a coach and teacher at Pass Christian Middle School in Pass Christian, Miss. He served on several committees and received an exemplary teaching award in 2005.

“This is my chance to give back to all of you who have given so much to me,” said Vanderklis in accepting her new position. Among her activities are Elk’s teacher of year award winner from Clearwood Junior High School in 1996 and 2004 as well as language department head at Clearwood, where she taught from 1993-2006.

She is the resource-helping teacher at St. Tammany Junior High School. She holds a master’s plus 30 and an administration and supervision certification from the University of Phoenix and University of Louisiana at Monroe. Her master’s degree is in educational technology leadership and her bachelor of arts degree is in elementary education, both from SLU.

The School Board confirmed the four new assistant principals unanimously.