Eight outstanding public school principals have been selected as regional Wells Fargo North Carolina Principals of the Year and will now compete for the state title of 2021 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. The winner will succeed the 2020 recipient, Kisha Clemons, principal of Shuford Elementary School (Newton-Conover City Schools).
The regional principals of the year are:
Northeast: Michelle White, Chowan Middle School (Edenton-Chowan Schools)
Southeast: Christopher Barnes, White Oak High School (Onslow County Schools)
North Central: Elena Ashburn, Needham B. Broughton Magnet High School (Wake County Public School System )
Sandhills: Suzanne Owen, Cliffdale Elementary School (Cumberland County Schools)
Piedmont-Triad: Erik Naglee, Page High School (Guilford County Schools)
Southwest: Ericia Turner, Rocky River High School (Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools)
Northwest: Jill Ward, Old Fort Elementary School (McDowell County Schools)
Western: Kevin Bradley, CHASE High School (Rutherford County Schools)
Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said that students and teachers in all eight of the schools led by the regional principals of the year are as much winners as the principals themselves.
“Principals are multipliers of excellence,” Truitt said. “Great schools have great principals who set ambitious goals and communicate a clear plan for achieving them. Most importantly, building leadership is the number one way that we retain great teachers.”
The Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Award was introduced in 1984 to recognize the critical role of the principal in establishing a culture that supports the pursuit and achievement of academic excellence in North Carolina schools.
The 2021 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year will be announced May 21.
