Orange Beach Middle & High School Principal

Chris Shaw is entering his first year as Principal at Orange Beach Middle & High School and his eighteenth year as a Principal. Mr. Shaw is a graduate of Homewood High School near Birmingham, Alabama. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Alabama in Secondary Education. He spent most of his teaching career at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama. He then received his Educational Leadership Degree from Alabama State University. Mr. Shaw then became an administrator for Cobb County Schools near Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his Educational Specialist Degree with Honors in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. He then became Principal at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia. Newsweek Magazine, US News and World Report, and Atlanta Magazine listed the school as one of the top schools in the country during his tenure. In 2008, the Georgia PTSA named him Principal of the Year. He returned to Alabama and was named as Principal at Spain Park High School in Hoover. The school increased their graduation rate, raised their ACT scores to well above the state average, and was named one of the top ten schools in Alabama by US News and World Report. He then went to Northview High School in Dothan, Alabama. The graduation rate and participation in the Advanced Placement programs increased dramatically during his tenure. Sparkman High School, his most recent position prior to OBMHS, was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2018. Sparkman has been named as one of the top schools in the state of Alabama consistently by US News and World Report and a top twenty school for college and career readiness. The graduation rate has risen to 96%, and the school had over 130 students with an ACT score of thirty or higher this past school year. The school also administered more than 1,200 Advanced Placement exams this past year. Mr. Shaw is entering his first year with high expectations and a state and national reputation of excellence to uphold. He has served on numerous advisory boards and educational committees throughout the state of Alabama and Georgia. Mr. Shaw is looking forward to seeing that the academics, fine arts, and athletic programs become, not only the best in the state, but also in the nation. GO MAKOS!