TAMPA -- In an unexpected move, Hillsborough superintendent MaryEllen Elia said she would move principal Carl Green from struggling Middleton High School after two years and put him at Brandon High, where he previously served as an assistant principal.

“We’ve had some real improvements,” Elia said, referring to student test scores at the school, which rose slightly this spring but nevertheless earned a sixth straight D and remained on a state watch list.

“But because of his background at Brandon, it was a great opportunity," she said.

Elia said it would be a mistake to connect the change to the school's academic performance.

It was clear, though, that the school and district faced sharp pressure from the state to improve. Middleton is one of only 17 schools on the bottom rung of a state accountability watch list, and faces a state-directed overhaul if it does not make rapid improvements.

Green was a popular figure who students and staff said brought a measure of calm and order to the school, and he was applauded at a School Board meeting Tuesday for his service to the school.

He said he found out about his departure a day ago. He said he was looking forward to the new challenge, and was proud of helping growing numbers of students reach proficiency.

"My job is done," he said.

For more information and updates, visit tampabay.com or read tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times.

Tom Marshall, Times Staff Writer

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