October
21, 2019 – A
Georgia educator has been named the 2019 National Principal of the Year.
Kerensa
Wing, principal at Collins Hill High School in Gwinnett County Public Schools,
was surprised with the recognition by the National Association of Secondary
School Principals (NASSP) today.
In
February 2019, Dr. Curtis L. Jones, Jr. – the superintendent of Bibb County
Schools – was named 2019 National Superintendent of the Year. With Principal
Wing’s recognition today, Georgia is home to both the National Superintendent
of the Year and the National Principal of the Year.
“The
success of our public schools begins and ends with strong leadership,” said
State School Superintendent Richard Woods, who attended the recognition to
congratulate Principal Wing. “I am grateful for the incredible work Principal
Kerensa Wing has done at Collins Hill High School, and throughout her career,
to create an environment where students can learn and thrive. At this moment,
Georgia is home to the National Principal of the Year in Gwinnett County and
the National Superintendent of the year in Bibb County – it’s a great time to
be a Georgian!”
J.
Alvin Wilbanks, CEO and superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools, said
in a release from NASSP:
“No
matter the job, Mrs. Wing is up to the task. As superintendent, I have asked
her to lead two high schools—Lanier and Collins Hill—and she has done so
exceptionally well. For her, the role of principal is not just a job, it is a
true calling. She is a strong instructional leader whose care and concern for
her students, her staff members, and her school community is evident in all
that she does.”
Wing
believes that every student deserves a great teacher and has made a concerted
effort to hire teachers who are content experts and student-focused in their
approach, NASSP stated in its release. She believes the classroom teacher has
an enormous impact on student growth and views her job of hiring, retaining,
and training the best teachers as the most efficient path toward equity for
students. She implemented a professional learning community structure among her
team, incorporating scheduling changes to accommodate common planning and
collaboration time using research-based practices for students. As a result,
student performance on state assessments rose between 3 percent and 13 percent
in proficient and distinguished levels on all tests.
She
holds a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education from Oglethorpe
University, a master’s degree in secondary social studies from Georgia State
University, and an education specialist degree in leadership and supervision
from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. She also received a certificate
from the Public Education Leadership Project at Harvard University, and is a
graduate of Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Quality-Plus Leader Academy –
Aspiring Principal Program.
“We
are proud to honor Kerensa Wing, who has served as a model for compassionate
school leadership, as the NASSP 2020 Principal of the Year,” said JoAnn
Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “Kerensa has made a profound and
deliberate impact on her students, teachers, and administrators by creating an
environment responsive to her school and community’s specific needs, while also
allowing for innovation and entrepreneurship to ensure academic success and
well-being.”
Melton
Callahan, executive director of the Georgia Association of Secondary School
Principals (GASSP) said:
“School
administrators in Georgia are extremely proud of Kerensa Wing’s accomplishments
at Collins Hill High School. The entire GASSP family in pleased in recognizing
her as an outstanding school principal who personifies excellence in providing
quality leadership to her school communities. She represents the qualities of a
great principal and will represent GASSP and NASSP well!”
Learn
more at NASSP’s website here.
