At a recent Madison Board of Education meeting, Rainbow Elementary School Principal Dorinda White, at left, introduces Angie Bush as assistant principal in charge of Madison City Schools Pre-Kindergarten Center. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – When the 2014-2015 school year begins, Angie Bush will be in charge at Madison City Schools Pre-Kindergarten Center.

“As the assistant principal at the pre-K center, I will be responsible for the day-to-day operation at the center,” Bush said. She will work with principal Dorinda White and assistant principal Michael Gunner at next-door Rainbow Elementary School “to ensure a successful first year.”

The center will have five lead and auxiliary teachers each and a Headstart class. “I’m looking forward to working with these professionals to make the pre-K experience memorable and meaningful,” Bush said.

The center’s lead teachers hold a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Auxiliary teachers have at least nine hours of concentration in early childhood education.

Madison’s pre-K program is offered by the Office of School Readiness, a division of Alabama Department of Children’s Affairs.

Bush said a successful pre-K program offers “enthusiasm for learning, ability to function in a social setting, age-appropriate communication and problem-solving skills, age-appropriate physical and emotional skills and optimal health”.

In 2004, Bush started teaching French classes at Liberty and Discovery middle schools, followed by a transfer to James Clemens High School.

Last year, she continued teaching at James Clemens while “having the pleasure of helping to research, design and implement the Elementary Spanish Program” for Madison City Schools, Bush said.

In 2012, Bush was Teacher of the Year at Discovery Middle School. Since 2012, she has “worked with dynamic educators to found and organize Ed CampMadisonAL. “I love to collaborate and learn with educators from all everywhere,” she said.

Bush earned a bachelor’s degree at Louisiana Tech University, master’s degrees at Auburn University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2012.

Bush has two teenage daughters — a Bob Jones High School senior and a James Clemens freshman. “In our spare time, we spend a lot of time at the barn riding and training our horses,” Bush said.