Tyler Burgess succeeds David Miles as Pizitz principal

On Aug. 11, Tyler Burgess will begin his first year as principal of Pizitz Middle School. He succeeds David Miles who served as the school principal for more than two decades.

At 35 years old, Burgess is one of the youngest principals in the school’s history. The post is his first as a principal, after having served in various faculty capacities within Homewood City Schools for the past 13 years. 

 “I have loved my time in Homewood,” said Burgess. “They really helped me grow up as a professional, and I will always appreciate them for that. But at this point, I’m ready to move on and share my own vision of what is best for students. I am excited about sharing the best of what I have learned along with my own aspirations to help shape the future years of Pizitz Middle School.”

Burgess is a 1997 graduate of Hoover High School. His wife, Mandy, has worked in Vestavia Hills City Schools for the past 15 years, where she has served as a teacher and coach. The couple lives in Vestavia Hills along with their children, who attend Vestavia Hills Elementary West. 

Burgess said his administrative philosophy emphasizes student-centered instruction and strong faculty support.

“I want the children who leave Pizitz to be able to interact with information and not just consume it,” said Burgess. “We will focus on interactive, collaborative learning. Even if you are sharing information all day long, you can’t just hope it will sink in with kids. At the end of the day, we will measure our effectiveness by how well we prepare our students for what lies ahead.”

This summer, he, along with other Vestavia Hills City School faculty, have spent more than 600 hours combined engaged in professional development activities. 

“I am a firm believer of supporting teachers in the classroom,” said Burgess. “In my mind, that starts with making sure our faculty has access to high-quality professional development so they can grow their craft. Moreover, just as I value being treated as a professional and being respected as one, that is what I want for our teachers.”

Respect underscores Burgess’ entire approach to what it means to educate a middle school population. 

“A certain responsibility falls on the school to help teach children about how to behave appropriately,” he said. “That spans everything from the way we expect them to treat their teachers and each other, how to demonstrate acceptable social media behaviors, how to think long term and how to make good choices overall.