Principal

Mr. Mike Blackwood is a graduate of Halls High School.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Memphis and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Middle Tennessee State University.  He completed his Master’s degree in Supervision and Instruction from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. Mr. Blackwood taught Physical Education at Lauderdale Middle School and Halls Elementary for a combined 4 years.  He later transferred to Halls Junior High to teach Science for 15 years.  He served as Head Baseball Coach at Halls High School for 19 years with some very successful teams and contended for the state championship.  He served as Assistant Principal at Halls High School for 1 year before becoming the Principal at Halls Junior High School in 2010. Mr. Blackwood and his wife, Shannon, have 4 daughters, Haley, Hannah, Camryn, and Paiton.  Mr. Blackwood and his family reside in Halls and attend Halls Westside Baptist Church.

Email Jean Criner

Curriculum Coordinator

Mrs. Jean Criner, a graduate of Ripley High School, is a veteran educator of thirty-nine years in the Lauderdale County System. Her career in this district began as a second grade teacher at Ripley Primary School. Subsequently, she taught eighth grade English at Ripley Junior High and Lauderdale Middle School.  For seventeen years she taught eighth grade English at Halls Junior High as well as serving as part-time counselor. With a B.A. in Secondary English from Lambuth College and a M.Ed. in Secondary Guidance and Counseling from Memphis State University, Mrs. Criner now divides her time between curriculum and counseling duties. She and her husband, Ivan, are the parents of one son and proud grandparents of two.