During its June 4 meeting, the Alexandria City Public School Board voted to make Seth Kennard the new Charles Barrett Elementary School principal, replacing Annetta Lawson, who will retire in June with 36 years of service to the students of Alexandrias schools.

Kennard is now in his second year as an assistant principal at Samuel Tucker Elementary School. He received his Masters of Education in administration and supervision from the University of Virginia. Before joining Tucker, Kennard was an assistant principal at Moncure Elementary School in Stafford County.

There, Kennard worked as his schools special education coordinator, school improvement team chair, crisis team coordinator and a lead teacher recruiter for human resources, according to ACPS. Prior to his three years as assistant principal, he taught fifth grade.

Lawson began her work in ACPS as a teacher in 1973 and as an administrator in 1996. Under her leadership, Barrett was one of the first schools in Alexandria to meet accreditation, ACPS said.
Kennard will begin his new role as principal on July 1.