GLENVILLE, West Virginia, May 31, 2023 — Gilmer County Schools welcomes Brandon Payne as the next principal of Gilmer County High School. Mr. Payne was previously employed by the Gilmer County Board of Education as the Director of Special Education and served as the Assistant Principal of Gilmer County High School for four years.
Mr. Payne hails from Webster County, WV, where he worked as a permanent substitute teacher in a combined 7th and 8th grade classroom. After, Payne worked as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher at Braxton County High School for four years. He then spent two years working at Huttonsville Prison, and subsequently worked for Gilmer County Schools for the past five years.
Mr. Payne’s passion for educating came as a result of his experiences as a criminal justice student at Mountain State University. “I fell into teaching when I was working on my first Master’s Degree”, Payne stated. “There was a private high school on Mountain State University’s campus that had asked me to give a guest lecture. I ended up going to the middle school, too, and guest lecturing and building my thesis. I really enjoyed teaching it.”
Payne is looking forward to coming back to the high school, and is particularly focused on working to create a positive learning environment for the students of Gilmer County. “I missed the kids. I missed the staff”, Payne stated. “If you’re ever having a rough day, the kids can put a smile on your face faster than anything.”
A student-centered approach typifies his philosophy, as he believes that creating an environment that is welcoming for students is critical for elevating student success in every metric. In the near future, Mr. Payne is excited to emphasize positive relationships between students, faculty, administration, and staff in order to build a positive school climate. “I want to establish more opportunities for fun things for all kids”, Payne said. “Kids need more opportunities to participate in after school and extracurriculars — not just athletics, but fun clubs such as photography, E-sports, kayaking, robotics — things that appeal to all kids.” Additionally, he intends to focus on project-based learning, STEAM education, and other educational pursuits where students can develop the teamwork skills necessary to succeed in 21st century society.
However, Mr. Payne also is laser-focused on academics at GCHS. “I want to lead the school to be the best that it can”, Payne claimed. “I want it to be the best version of itself.” His particular focus is upon the attendance, reading scores, and mathematics scores, and he hopes to work with teachers, students, and stakeholders in order to develop comprehensive strategies that will bring about improvement in those areas.
Mr. Payne will assume the responsibilities and duties of the Gilmer County High School principal on July 1, 2023.