Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Alexis (Lex) Foster should be selected as the principal of Mathews High School.

I taught Computer Science classes at MHS for 15 years and was the chairman of the Career and Technical Education department for 12 of those years. I have known Lex since the start of his tenure as the assistant principal.

I was on the selection committee when Albert Green was selected over Lex. Due to a confidentiality agreement, I cannot discuss the specifics of those interviews nor the deliberations of the committee. However, I can relate that following the selection, Nancy Welch (then assistant superintendent) did query us as to why Lex was not selected. The consensus was that Lex was just not ready at that time. She then challenged us to make him ready.

So, over the remainder of my time at MHS, Lex and I had many closed-door discussions on school policy, perceptions of where he needed to improve, his view of where the faculty and staff needed to improve, and a myriad of othe...