Rhoshanda Pyles grew up with dreams of one day becoming a high school principal and those dreams came true this year when she was named to that position at Rockville High School. 

Principal Pyles attended Tennessee State University (TSU), a state-funded historically Black university, where she first majored in education.  

“I knew that when I went to college I wanted to be a teacher,” Rhoshanda Pyles said. 

Despite her desire to end up in education, Pyles decided to become a business major as she started her third year at TSU. 

“I let other people discourage me from going into education because they said I wouldn’t make enough money,” Pyles said.

Ultimately, Pyles graduated from TSU with a business management degree and started working in corporate America. Eventually, she realized business was not her passion.

 “It’s very important for me to guide students to do what they’re passionate about, and I knew education was my passion,” said Pyles. 

  When Principal Pyles moved to Florida with her family, she began teaching middle school math. After about four years in that role, Pyles moved to Maryland where she continued her teaching career. 

Throughout her years teaching in Maryland, Pyles picked up various experiences in Montgomery County Public Schools. Pyles taught math and business at Clarksburg High School for two years while working towards her master’s degree in administration and supervision. 

After completing her advanced degree, Pyles began working as a part of the administrative team at Clarksburg HS, a position she would remain in for ten years. 

Pyles completed an additional four years as an assistant principal at Watkins Mill High School before completing her principal internship at Farquhar Middle School during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 In addition to education, Pyles has a passion for the world of sports. She started dancing at four and was later introduced to cheerleading. Pyles continued her dancing and cheer careers during her undergraduate studies. 

 “Sports has always been a part of me and my family,” Pyles said. 

While cheer and track were her primary sports, Pyles tried various others along the way. Her daughters followed in her footsteps and now attend Division 1 schools on athletic scholarships.

Pyles was one of four Black students in her high school’s graduating class and now has plans as principal to embrace culture and diversity throughout RHS. Pyles wants to help students respect our differences and celebrate our cultures.  

“Pyles has the opportunity to make big change,” SGA secretary Calvin Cajayon said.

After being in school for a little over a month, Pyles has adjusted to the new environment of RHS.

 “I think the transition is going well. Especially in the times that we are in,” assistant principal Daniel Wagner said. 

Since school was virtual last year, students have not been in the building since the beginning of 2020, and half of the student body is relatively new to the building.

“It has been a very fast moving couple of months,” Wagner said. 

With homecoming festivities, football games, and more, the energy of RHS has returned after a long year of virtual learning. Pyles and her administrative team are working extra hard to embrace what we have gone through and to anticipate what’s to come. 

“Our teachers are working hard to connect the learning that they may have lost to the learning they are expected to learn every single day,” said Pyles.