WSLR News reporter Ed James III gauges reactions in Newtown and beyond.
By Ed James III
Original Air Date: May 20, 2026
Host: After 15 years of leadership by Dr. Rachel Shelley, Booker High School has a new principal. Ed James III is gauging reactions in and around Newtown to the man stepping into one of Sarasota’s culturally most significant jobs.
Ed James III: Jamal Crook is a former college athlete. He arrives with a reputation as a young, tech-forward and innovative educator from Hillsborough County. His appointment has sparked intense conversations throughout the community about representation, legacy and what lies ahead for Booker Nation.
Jamal Crook
To understand what Booker High School means to Newtown, envision that this isn’t just an institution—it is a generational anchor. So when the search for a new principal began, local leaders and families held their breath, demanding a seat at the table.
Jamal Crook comes to Sarasota with a strong administrative foundation. As principal of Buchanan Middle School in Tampa, he earned a reputation for being highly accessible to his students and skilled at fostering a tight-knit school community.
According to Trevor Harvey, President of the Sarasota County Branch of the NAACP, the selection process had a shield protecting the community’s interests: Dr. Rachel Shelley herself.
Trevor Harvey
Trevor Harvey: Based on the process that the district put into place, I think we had an ear and a voice at the table in none other than the principal herself—in Dr. Rachel Shelley.
EJ: Dr. Shelley’s involvement ensured that her legacy would be respected. That legacy is one of hard-nosed advocacy and unconditional belief in her kids. Dumaka Atkins—a Booker Middle and Booker High alumnus, former teacher and former Tornadoes football coach—says Dr. Shelley’s impact on Newtown can be summed up in one word: hope.
Dumaka Atkins: I think her impact can be summed up in hope. I think she gave students hope, whether they were on the top end or the lower end—the bottom quartile or the top quartile. The kids in between, she made them work. Because of that, I think her college and career staples pushed those kids, pushed our community and helped us all move forward.
EJ: But the transition is not just being felt by administrators and alumni. For the students who walk these halls every day, Dr. Shelley’s retirement represents the end of an era. Chloe Truewell, a rising senior at Booker High, says Dr. Shelley was more than just an administrator in an office—she was a source of love and support.
Dr. Rachael Shelley
Chloe Truewell: I personally love Dr. Shelley a lot. She created a very welcoming atmosphere, and she always wanted to know how she could make Booker High School a better place for all students. She always wanted Booker High School to feel like a place where people want to come. Students want to come to school every day. They don’t just show up to show up. They want to be there. That was one thing I loved about Dr. Shelley, and she’s definitely going to be missed because she made an atmosphere that made my three high school years with her very unforgettable. It was a pleasure to have her as a principal for as long as I did.
EJ: While saying goodbye is bittersweet, Chloe says the student body is ready to welcome Principal Crook. The key to his success, she notes, lies in how openly he listens to the voices of the students he is stepping in to lead.
CT: I really think he needs to be like Dr. Shelley in the way he needs to be out, open, in the center. He needs to be walking around campus. He needs to be part of the campus as much as we are part of the campus.
EJ: While the students are looking for personal connection, parents and community members are looking practically at how Mr. Crook will integrate into the tight-knit Newtown community. Jimmy Glover, a candidate for Sarasota County School Board District 1 and a father of four Booker High graduates, says building trust cannot happen from behind a desk.
Jimmy Glover
Jimmy Glover: I believe trust is built through presence, not promises. Dr. Shelley built relationships, and people felt heard. That matters, and I think Principal Crook has an opportunity to build on that foundation rather than start over. In his first 100 days, I would want him out in the community listening—not just holding meetings in the school building but sitting with parents, students, teachers, faith leaders and neighborhood organizations. Booker is a school with deep roots and strong community pride. Parents want to know their voices matter before decisions are made, not after. They want communication that is consistent, honest and accessible. If families feel seen, heard and respected, trust grows. When trust grows, schools become stronger. I believe Principal Crook has the opportunity to build those relationships and continue moving Booker forward.
EJ: Trust is going to be tested early. Sarasota County Schools are currently grappling with budget shortfalls while public school dollars are being redirected to private and charter institutions. For a historic public school like Booker, budget cuts can threaten vital student resources. Trevor Harvey urges district leaders to keep budget axes away from classrooms.
TH: Where I would stand as the president of the Sarasota County branch of the NAACP and an advocate for children, especially children of color: I would advise all of our district leaders and administrators that when you are looking at cutting budgets that you’re not cutting budgets that are going to directly impact our students. I would rather see you cut extracurricular activities.
Booker High School
EJ: Keeping the political and financial noise out of the classroom is easier said than done. But those who know Booker High School trust in its fierce sense of identity known as Booker Nation.
DA: The nation has a wide range of personalities and eras, but it also has a vertical delineation in that it doesn’t matter if you are the president of a company or a crackhead; you still care about Booker the same. I think, because of all of those different types of people and different eras of people and professions and histories, it allows us to come together for the sole purpose of moving Booker forward.
EJ: Longevity is one of the main expectations for Principal Jamal Crook. Booker High School has historically struggled with leadership transitions, and after a decade of hard-won stability under Dr. Shelley, Coach Atkins hopes Mr. Crook makes Booker his home for the long haul.
DA: After ten years, I pray that he’s here. That would be number one. I expect success. I expect excellence. I expect him to carry the baton like we dream and we pray for. But I really don’t want to go through this process again in another five or ten years. He’s a young enough guy that this could be his last job if he wanted, but he probably has other aspirations as well. But I really would like for it to be stable. And then you can see a few graduating classes come through whereas, “Okay, this is the difference that’s being made, and this is the impact that these kids that left off and came back are having on our community.” That’s the largest grade that an educator can get: What do your kids do after they leave you and then come back? Whether it’s back home or somewhere else—wherever they land in their communities.
EJ: Reporting for WSLR News, I’m Ed James III.
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