At the Top: Southfield High School Gets New Leadership
Southfield High School has a new principal and a new assistant principal.
Sonia Jackson is the principal and Scott Tocco is the new assistant principal.
They join Vernon Burden, who has returned this year as assistant principal.
Jackson served as assistant principal for two years before getting promoted. She moved into the office formerly occupied by Principal Michael Horn, who retired in June.
The space is clean and has her own touches.
“Becoming a new leader, you never make any drastic changes in the beginning,” said Jackson. “You have to really get the feel of how things are operating presently. If there’s anything that needs immediate change, then I will do that.”
The only two changes she has made so far are the addition of Spirit Fridays, when students are encouraged to wear Southfield High apparel, and the addition of monthly dress down days as a fund-raiser for school activities.
Before Jackson was an administrator, she was a special education resource teacher for many years. “Sometimes I do miss being a teacher,” she said, “but I guess right now I have the best of both worlds because I do sometimes teach students and see more students than I did when I was in a teaching setting.”
Jackson takes the helm the year before Southfield High School is scheduled to merge with Southfield-Lathrup High School, and she said she is not sure if she will be principal after the merge.
“I am very excited about my new position,” Jackson said. “It is a huge challenge, but I am up for the challenge. And I’m excited about the (merge) because I can bring my new vision to Southfield High School.”
Jackson is the second female principal in Southfield High’s history. The first was Rita Teague, who was interim principal from April 2006 to August 2006.
“I’ve known Ms. Jackson since we worked together at Birney,” said Counselor N’es’ha Harper, “and I’m very proud to see the person she became. I believe it’s going to be a good year for her.”
Jackson said no programs would be changed this year.
Joining Jackson in leadership this year is Assistant Principal Tocco, who is a graduate of Taylor Truman High School.
In high school he played baseball, basketball and football. He said he tried to be involved in “everything” and graduated with a 3.3 grade point average.
He started working at Southfield High over the summer when he directed the summer school program.
He said that’s when he felt the energy from Southfield’s active students. “You could drive by Southfield High at 7 a.m. or 10 p.m,, and something is always going on,” Tocco said.
Tocco said he likes how Southfield has a good balance between academic and extracurricular activities.
Tocco has been working in the field of education for 23 years. He received his undergraduate, bachelors and master’s degrees from Eastern Michigan; he received his Ed.S. (Educational Specialist) and is currently working on his Ed.D (Doctor of Education) at Wayne State.
Tocco said his ultimate goal is to build a positive relationship with the students, which is a priority to him and to the staff, the parents, and the community. “What is really important to me is that we make the decisions in the best interest of the students because sometimes adults forget that our decisions affect the students the most.”
Annie Jackson • Jan 15, 2016 at 11:17 am
I’m so proud to say Sonia is my daughter and being her mother lets me know I did something right, so proud of her and I know she’s going to give her job 200 percent , she loves her kids at Southfield High and always wants them to excel to the highest . GOD BLESS YOU. MOM
Chardonnay Richardson • Oct 16, 2015 at 5:21 pm
I am glad to see Ms. Jackson as the principal of the Blue Jays, especially since it’s the last year as Southfield High and Southfield Blue Jays. Ms. Jackson welcomed me into the family of the Blue Jays her 1st year as assistant principal and my freshman year. Thanks so much for everything, Ms. Jackson. I hope Ms. Wood keeps you as principal of the new school since it will be my last year and I will always see myself as a Southfield High graduate and as a Blue Jay no matter what the new school name and mascot will be.
Kiara Timmons • Oct 16, 2015 at 10:38 am
I am excited to see Ms. Jackson taking leadership. She was a great assistant principal and will be an even better principal.