Principals hired for North, East middle schools

Great Falls Public Schools officials announced the hiring of two new principals Friday.

Brad Barringer will take over as the principal of North Middle School.

He will replace Fred Anderson, who is retiring.

Barringer is now the assistant principal at Great Falls High School, where he has worked from 2012. He has served GFPS for more than 22 years as a teacher, counselor and administrator, according to a release from Assistant Superintendent Tom Moore.

He began his education career in Great Falls in 1993 as a special education teacher. In 2001, he was hired as an associate principal at Paris Gibson Middle School and in 2005 moved to East Middle School where he served as an associate principal until 2012, according to the release.

Barringer’s education includes a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Montana State-Eastern and master’s in guidance and counseling from MSU-Northern. In 2001, he received a secondary principal’s endorsement through the University of Montana.

“Brad’s administrative experience coupled with his passion for NMS students and their achievement made him a great choice to be at the helm of North starting in July,” Moore said in the release. “His familiarity of middle schools as a teacher, counselor, parent and associate principal will allow him to hit the ground running as he continues and enhances the traditions of excellence at NMS.”

Paul Furthmyer has been selected as the East Middle School principal.

He will replace Kerry Parsons, who is becoming the principal at CMR high school.

Furthmyer is now the principal at Anaconda High School. He has worked there since 2006.

He has served public education for more than 14 years as a teacher and administrator, according to the release Furthmyer began his education career in Poplar High School as a business education teacher in 2001. In 2006, he was hired as a principal at Anaconda High School. According to the release, in 2013, Paul was named Montana High School Principal of the Year by the school administrators of Montana. He is now the president-elect of SAM for the 2015-2016 school year.

Furthmyer’s education includes a bachelor of science degree in secondary education-computer science from Western Montana College (2001) and master’s of science in education from Boise State University in 2006. He is completing his doctorate of education at Montana State University in Bozeman.

“Paul’s experience running a Title I school that also has a Striving Readers Grant will be beneficial,” Moore said in the release. “Anaconda High School was named a Blue Ribbon School under his leadership. His years of high school experience will prove valuable to EMS as it has allowed him to understand what skills students need to leave middle school with in order to be successful in high school. He wants to come to Great Falls because of the professional and personal opportunities we offer.”