LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - Westport Middle School's site-based decision making council voted unanimously 6-0 to select Joseph "Jodie" Zeller to be the school's next principal during a special-called meeting on Thursday.

Zeller was a social studies teacher in Shelby County for five years and has spent the past six years working for the Kentucky Department of Education, first as a outreach consultant to help the department develop the state's new teacher evaluation system and then as an education recovery leader, a role he has held for the past three years.

The SBDM decision to select Zeller still has to be finalized by Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Donna Hargens, that move should happen by early next week.

"I am honored and excited to be selected as the new principal at Westport Middle School," Zeller, 35, told WDRB News on Thursday night. "Westport is a great school in a wonderful community. I can't wait to get started."

Zeller noted that Westport has made a lot of progress over the past few years and he wants to build upon that success. Once approved by hargens, he will replace Staci Eddleman, who was named the new principal at Ballard High School in February and has been helping lead both Westport and Ballard over the past six weeks.

Westport, located in eastern Jefferson County, has an enrollment of about 1,100 students. 

In 2011, the Kentucky Department of Education designated Westport as one of the lowest performing schools in the state, based on poor student test scores, prompting the school to submit a detailed improvement plan and test data has shown promising results. However, only 35 percent of the school's students were proficient in reading and 26 percent were proficient in math last year.

As an education recovery leader, Zeller has worked with three of Jefferson County's lowest-performing schools in their turnaround efforts by helping school leaders establish new systems, processes and procedures to promote continuous student improvement.

"I have spent the past three years working with priority schools and I believe I can take what I've learned and help Westport," he said.

Zeller said he's "very excited" about Westport's popular Montessori magnet program, which has grown to include 250 students since it began with 50 students in one sixth-grade class five years ago after the school board voted to make it the district's only middle school with such a program. The move was in response to the district's popular Montessori programs at Coleridge Taylor and Kennedy elementary schools.

"I believe the Montessori program is the cornerstone of Westport's future," he said. 

Eddleman, who spent five years at Westport, sent out the following tweet Thursday night: "Congratulations, Jodie Zeller! Very lucky to be part of the amazing Warhawk staff, students and families."

Zeller received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky. He also has a master's degree in secondary education from UK, as well as a master's degree from Bellarmine University in instructional leadership and school administration.

He is married with two sons and lives near Westport. He says he hopes to start his new job "as soon as we get the paperwork complete."

"I'd like to be in place that first full week of May," he said.

Reporter Antoinette Konz can be reached at 502-855-2045 or @tkonz on Twitter.

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