School Leadership
Glenn Byrum, Executive Director
Glenn Byrum has served as a public educator in North Carolina since 2004, working in both charter and traditional public school settings. He began at MICS in 2010 as the founding Middle/High School Principal and now serves as the Executive Director. During his time as MS/HS Principal, Mr. Byrum led the middle and high school programs through the addition of grades 8-12, expansion of diverse course offerings, and establishment of new extracurricular and athletic opportunities. Prior to working at MICS, he worked as a district-based World Languages Curriculum Specialist in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where he supervised world language programming at more than 40 elementary and middle schools throughout the county. He began his work in education as a Spanish teacher and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, a Master of Arts in Spanish, and a Graduate Certificate in Curriculum and Supervision, each from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Jake Wilson, Middle and High School Principal
Dr. Jake Wilson brings 16 years of dedicated experience in education across various roles and institutions. He began as a 3rd and 4th grade teacher in Gaston County Schools and later taught 3rd grade in Cleveland County Schools. Transitioning to administration, he served as an assistant principal at both elementary and middle school levels, and then as principal at Union Elementary School and Burns Middle School in Cleveland County. Most recently, Dr. Wilson has been the middle and high school principal at Mountain Island Charter School. He has earned accolades such as the youngest Principal of the Year in Cleveland County Schools, Principal of the Year Regional Finalist, and led a school to achieve the Blue Ribbon designation from North Carolina. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in School Administration from UNC Charlotte, along with an EdS and EdD in Educational Leadership from Appalachian State University. Dr. Wilson's licenses include Elementary Education, Curriculum Specialist, Principal, and Superintendent. His career reflects a strong commitment to educational excellence and leadership.
Karen Riner, Elementary School Principal
Karen Riner has over 35 years of experience as a general education teacher, special education instructor, teacher of the gifted, a professional school counselor, assistant principal, and principal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology/Elementary Education from SUNY at Potsdam, an M. Ed. in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia, an Educational Specialist Degree from Virginia Tech in Educational Leadership, and has completed all coursework toward a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Virginia Tech. She was selected as a turnaround principal to take over one of the lowest achieving schools in Virginia. Ms. Riner was the recipient of the Virginia Board of Education Award of Excellence for significant gains in achievement, and was selected as a Success Story by Pearson Education related to her work with ESL students.