After the 2024-2025 school year, Princess Anne’s beloved principal, Todd Tarkenton, will  finish his time in VBCPS education after 30 years of dedication and passion. After working as a science teacher at Landstown Middle School, the assistant principal of Ocean Lakes High School, principal of Green Run High School, and now principal of Princess Anne High School, Tarkenton leaves the field to pursue a new career in the Virginia High School League.

“I pursued leadership even when I was a student, and leadership was always something I would strive to pursue,” Tarkenton says, reflecting on his days as a student at Kellam High School. From a young age, he felt the desire to help lead others and be the voice for his peers. 

After college, Tarkenton started his career at Landstown Middle School as a science teacher. After just a couple of years in the classroom, he became a department chair on top of  helping coach the baseball and basketball teams. After 10 years as a teacher, he set his sights on school administration, so he went back to school to receive his master’s degree in administration supervision. His first role in administration was as the assistant principal of Ocean Lakes High School, where he spent five and a half years. “It was an amazing learning experience, really. I grew a lot in my leadership capacity,” Tarkenton commented.

Tarkenton also worked within the Department of Curriculum Instruction for two and a half years, but he missed being amongst the kids, staff, and feeling like he was a part of a family. So, Tarkenton returned to administration, this time  as a principal,  at Green Run High School, where he led the school and inspired growth for nine years. 

After finding comfort within the halls of Green Run, he received an offer to come to Princess Anne. “Some people kind of fear change,” he states, “I think change is good for everybody. It gives you the chance to reflect, recharge, and seek new opportunities.” With a new door opened, Tarkenton came to PA to complete the last few years of his career. 

Over the last 30 years, he has celebrated many connections and memories that he says he will cherish forever. Reflecting on his years as principal, he remarked, “I’ve had a great experience here. I loved my time at Green Run and I really miss those folks, I’ll obviously miss the folks here.” He says he’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife; however, not even his retirement can stop him from working, as he accepted a job at the Virginia High School League to help orchestrate student athletics and activities. He’s retiring from education, but will continue to work with students, just in a different realm. 

He highlights some of his favorite parts of his time at Princess Anne, including our “dedication to homecoming hallways” and his continuation of the tradition of birthday pencils which the previous Ocean Lakes principal passed down to him.

After three decades in the field, Tarkenton has created traditions, relationships, and unforgettable moments. From teaching science for a decade, leading Green Run through COVID-19, all the way to celebrating PA’s 70-year anniversary Tarkenton has made a mark on each community he’s encountered.