'Natural realignment': Principal quits Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, top staff follow

Yahoo

23-06-2025

The Tallahassee Collegiate Academy at Tallahassee State College is without a leadership team: Its principal tendered her resignation in March and its other two administrators resigned June 16.
Jessica Chapman, the school's principal, submitted her resignation March 21 to focus on her family and health. It is effective June 30.
She has led the charter high school since its inception in 2023, alongside Assistant Principal Patricia Pagozalski and Dean of Students Matthew Gregory, who themselves both resigned June 16.
Kim Kelling, a retired media professional and member of the board of governors for the school, told the Tallahassee Democrat that a search for a new principal is underway.
"We've been actively interviewing candidates and are encouraged by the caliber of applicants," Kelling said. "We expect to make an announcement soon."
As the school prepares for a new academic year, Kelling said it stands firmly on the foundation and standard of excellence and perseverance the three administrators set.
"It's not uncommon for school administrators to transition to new opportunities following a change in principal," Kelling said. "These shifts often reflect the natural realignment that occurs with leadership changes."
"We appreciate the contributions of Jessica Chapman, Patricia Pagozalski, and Matt Gregory, whose leadership during the first two years of Tallahassee Collegiate Academy helped establish a strong foundation. Their efforts have positioned TCA for continued success as we move into the new academic year."
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve as the inaugural Principal for Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, and to have the hard work of our students and teachers recognized so visibly," Chapman wrote in her resignation letter.
Tallahassee Collegiate Academy serves high school students as a tuition-free public charter school overseen by the TSC board of trustees. The school earned an A grade from the Florida Department of Education in its latest assessment.
The June resignations of Gregory and Pagozalski come days after TSC trustees approved an application from Charter Schools USA Inc., to open an AI-integrated middle school separate from TCA. The new school doesn't play a role in the resignations based on the letters from the administrators.
Pagozalski is returning to the Tallahassee School of Math and Sciences, which is where she worked for 15 years before arriving at TCA in 2023. She will serve as the school operations engagement coordinator, which is less strenuous than an assistant principal role.
"My time at TCA was absolutely wonderful and it was such an exciting school," Pagozalski said. "There are great things to come for the school for sure."
Gregory did not list specific reasons for his departure in his resignation letter, but he did say he would continue his career in education.
"While this separation is bittersweet for me as I leave to pursue other opportunities in education, I can't wait to see what the future holds for this school and the student body as it builds on this foundational success that we all created," he wrote in the letter.
Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leadership team exits Tallahassee Collegiate Academy