Brookwood gains new principal

Starting in a few weeks, Brookwood High School will have a new principal.

Daniel Bray, principal at Brookwood Middle School, will take the helm of the high school starting July 1, taking over from Mark Franks, who left the school to head the federal programs department of the Tuscaloosa County School System.

"I’m happy and humbled that the board has allowed me this opportunity, and I’m going to work hard every day," Bray said.

Bray has been principal at Brookwood Middle since 2015, and he was also involved in different aspects related to technology integration in the school’s curriculum. Previous to that job, Bray was assistant principal at Hale County High School for two years and had been a business teacher at Paul W. Bryant High School, John Essex High and Pickens County High between 2007 and 2013.

Bray’s journey to education started in the financial world. Graduating from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in financial planning, Bray was a certified financial planner for Merrill Lynch between 2002 and 2007. During this time, he took on work as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama and realized what he really wanted to do: teach.

"I really enjoyed what I was doing," Bray said. "I felt like it allowed me to give back in a larger way."

Going into the new school year, Bray is interested in meeting students halfway when it comes to using technology.

"The way we operate in education is behind where students are," he said. "Technology is going to add value to what they are learning."

In addition, Bray wants to use more ways to get students involved in the workforce. This year, one phase of the former Brookwood High School, which is serving a new purpose as a career technical education annex, has been completed and will be used as a logistics training center with other labor components being added later.

"My objective is to make opportunities for people to have success," he said. "It’s about creating opportunities for students."

Bray said that leading up to the new school year, he will be meeting with teachers and members of the community to hear their concerns and ideas for how to improve the school system.

"I’m here to listen," he said.

Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.