Welcome, Principal Flowers!

By Grace Taylor, Ed.D., Interim Assistant Superintendent Region 3, Fairfax County Public Schools
Spotlight
August 25, 2023

Dear Whitman Middle students, staff, parents, and community,

The Region 3 Leadership Team is pleased to announce that Mr. John Flowers has been appointed as principal of Whitman Middle School (MS), effective Friday, August 25, 2023.

Mr. Flowers has served for over 22 years in the Houston Independent School District (Houston ISD). He is currently the principal at High School Ahead Academy, Houston ISD, where he has served since May 2021.  Prior to his time at High School Ahead Academy, Mr. Flowers served as principal at Highland Heights Elementary School, Houston ISD, for two years.  Previous experiences include 6 years as assistant principal in Houston ISD and Spring Independent School District, Houston, TX, literacy coach, instructional coach, instructional coordinator, computer technologist, and classroom teacher. 

Highlights and accomplishments from Mr. Flower’s leadership journey include improving test scores, closing achievement gaps, and creating engaging learning environments.  He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student success, addressing the performance of over-aged middle school students, remediating skills to close learning gaps in order to improve outcomes on state tests, and setting students up for success in high school classes.  As a collaborative leader, he engages with all stakeholders to foster a positive school culture by supporting teachers and teams.  He is visible, approachable, and exudes high energy when working with learning communities.  He understands that positive relationships with students will result in stronger relationships with their families.  His strategies include daily parent contact, entering neighborhoods to bring students to school, setting up safe, student-centered conditions, and ensuring more engaging instruction in every classroom so that students attend and participate in school.

Mr. Flowers earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX, and a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX.  He holds a certificate in Elementary Education and a Mid-Management Certificate-Principal, Early Childhood – 12.  Mr. Flowers has been honored for his work in Houston ISD.  Notable among his many accomplishments are the following: Mayor proclaimed Oct. 19, 2020, as “John Flowers Day” as a result of his Excellence in Leadership Award 2020 from the school district, grant writer and awardee, and Teacher of the Year 2003.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Mr. Flowers to the Whitman Middle School community. Together, we will strive for educational excellence, maintain a positive and inclusive culture, and ensure the success and well-being of all our students.

Principal Flowers greeting Whitman teachers