LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) announced administrative changes involving two principals, effective July 1, 2025. R. Demetri Sermons, Ed.D., current principal of Phoenix International School of the Arts (PISOTA), will take over as principal of Gale-Bailey Elementary School. Tangela Scales, Ed.D., principal of Gale-Bailey Elementary since 2019, will move to the principal position at William B. Wade Elementary School.
Sermons has served as PISOTA’s principal since the school’s opening in 2023. He brings extensive experience, having previously held principal roles with Providence Public Schools in Rhode Island, Richmond Public Schools in Virginia, and Vision Academies’ EastSide Charter School in Delaware. He will complete the current school year at PISOTA before transitioning to Gale-Bailey on July 1.
Scales, a longtime CCPS educator, has led Gale-Bailey Elementary for six years. Before that, she worked as an assistant principal and teacher within the district. She will finish the 2024-2025 school year at Gale-Bailey and assume her new role at William B. Wade Elementary on July 1.
The principal position at Wade became vacant earlier this school year. Sonia Blue, a retired CCPS principal, has served as interim principal and will remain in that capacity through June 2025. CCPS has not disclosed the reason for the vacancy.
Both Sermons and Scales hold doctoral degrees in education, reflecting the district’s emphasis on qualified leadership. CCPS oversees 37 schools, serving more than 26,000 students across Charles County, according to its official website. The reassignments align with the district’s practice of rotating administrators to meet evolving school needs.
PISOTA, located in Waldorf, focuses on arts-integrated education for grades K-8. Gale-Bailey Elementary, in Marbury, and William B. Wade Elementary, in Waldorf, are traditional elementary schools serving similar age groups. The transitions ensure continuity for the upcoming school year.
Sermons’ move follows two years at PISOTA, where he established the school’s foundation. Scales’ reassignment to Wade builds on her decade-plus tenure with CCPS. Blue’s interim role has provided stability at Wade since the vacancy occurred.
The changes take effect at the start of the fiscal and academic year, a common time for administrative shifts in Maryland public schools. CCPS did not announce additional staffing changes at this time. More information about the district is available at www.ccboe.com.
