In her 22 years at Delmae Elementary School, Ginger Baggette has worked as a teacher, math coach, instructional coach and, since 2017, assistant principal. Her peers describe her as instrumental in the 900-student school’s academic success, having led teams to achieve Blue Ribbon Lighthouse Schools recognition in 2022 and STEM certification.

Not only does she regularly provide professional development to her staff and to teachers around her district, but she works in her spare time as an online facilitator for the South Carolina Department of Education’s VirtualSC Professional Development program to provide trainings to teachers statewide on literacy, problem-based learning, rigor and relevance, and children in poverty.

She currently heads Delmae Heights’ safety team, overseeing campus safety and oversight of staff and students. She is also responsible for Title I planning, working with a team to create, facilitate and evaluate plans on how federal funding is used within the school.

During her five years as director of special populations, Chams Chamri has prioritized bold leadership moves to expand access and equity for students in the Manara Academy District. Among these accomplishments are planning and coordinating events that include an Annual Autism Awareness Walk and foreign language spelling bees. This year, for instance, the 540-student charter school district hosted its first ever Arabic spelling bee. 

Chamri has also led the adoption of innovative technology, such as the robot “Regi” being used to support differentiation in English as a second language programs. Additionally, she has overseen her department's creation of YouTube channels to support English learners and helped to develop a bilingual program within the district.

Angie Dills oversees secondary education as well as career and technical education for Jackson County Public Schools. In her 4.5 years in that role, her actions have heavily impacted instruction and learning as the small, rural district’s 3,700 students prepare for the future, Superintendent Dana Ayers said.

Dills tackles her role “with great pride and humility,” according to Ayers, and is particularly passionate about offering variety in the district’s CTE programming so students have greater opportunities for workforce pathways after they graduate. That varied content, along with Dills' collaboration with local businesses, has allowed the district to expand both internship and externship opportunities, as well as professional learning tours for teachers. Dills launched the latter to ensure educators had first-hand experiences with the variety of business and industry opportunities available in the area, Ayers said.

“There are now more than 50 different class offerings for both middle grades and high school students,” said Ayers. “Her drive to increase exposure to career opportunities allows our students more chances to ‘dabble’ in a variety of potential careers.”

Beyond those CTE opportunities, Dills maintains a steadfast focus on core instruction and students’ academic success, whether that means selecting reading materials or planning professional development opportunities. “Angie's focus is ‘what can we do to better students' chances for academic growth, progress and success,’” said Ayers.

“MEEP” isn’t just a sound associated with the Marco Forster Middle School’s roadrunner mascot — it’s an acronym Assistant Principal Andrew Freeman coined that stands for “Meeting Every Expectation Possible.” According to Principal Catherine Thompson, Freeman leads the school’s 1,100 students to do so with “boundless positive energy.”

Currently in his fourth year as an administrator, Freeman is credited with emphasizing a system of positive behavioral interventions and supports that has led to a significant decrease in suspensions and a stronger positive school climate with increased student participation. 

“He regularly goes above and beyond and always places the needs of students as his top priority,” Thompson said.

Freeman also leads professional development efforts around using high-rigor, standards-based student assessments schoolwide. In the most recent school year, he guided the school’s collaborative development of more than 100 improved assessments that Thompson said have already resulted in better student outcomes on standardized tests.

Matt Haines never shies away from new ideas or getting his hands dirty in the trenches, says Susan Van Saun, district staff developer for Pennsylvania’s Souderton Area School District. “Matt is at the forefront of everything related to students and innovation here at Souderton Area High School.”

Haines, who has been an administrator for 20 years, is particularly instrumental in the 2,000-student high school’s Link Crew, a high school transition program that trains juniors and seniors to serve as mentors to freshmen. In addition to helping incoming students feel comfortable during their first year of high school, Link Crew leaders’ responsibilities include helping to guide freshmen through orientation and social and academic events during the school year.

Additionally, Van Saun says Haines played a key role in the implementation of 1:1 computing and restorative practices, as well as a library transformation. “His leadership makes us one of the top high schools in our area.”

Phonisha Hawkins began her career as a 7th grade math teacher in Houston’s Spring Independent School District in 2009 before leaving in 2015 for opportunities in other districts. But in 2022, she returned to become the 33,000-student school system’s middle school math curriculum specialist.

Since her return, she has helped to implement the state-approved Texas Math Solution secondary curriculum model and seen impressive achievement results. Compared to last year, results on the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness show significant increases in grades 6-8.

For instance, 6th graders saw a 13% decrease in the number of students who didn’t pass and an 11% increase in the number approaching standards. In 7th grade, the number of students meeting standards on the assessment rose 22%. And in 8th grade, there was a 16% drop in students who didn’t pass, a 12% increase in students approaching standards, and a 41% uptick in students meeting standards.

On top of those achievement gains, Hawkins is credited with better preparing the district for rigorous instruction, standards alignment and teacher agency initiatives. Hawkins, however, credits her success to her director, Robyn Carrier, for allowing her to fully be herself in her work and for giving her full support.

“Natural born leader,” “inspirational” and “innovative” are among accolades Tracy Jemison’s peers have used to describe her.

Jemison, who has been assistant principal for 3 years, is credited with highlighting the achievements of students, faculty and staff on a daily basis, helping to change culture and climate at Greensboro Elementary School during her four years as an assistant principal. She has also championed a well-rounded focus on core subjects for the school’s nearly 550 students, encapsulated as a STREAM — Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art and Math — approach to learning.

This year, she was recognized as the District III Alabama Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, a state-level professional association founded in 1969.

"Overserve the underserved." This is the mantra guiding Oscar Macias’ equity work for Glendale Unified School District.

For Macias, who joined the 24,000-student district one year ago, providing more opportunities for underrepresented students requires a commitment to awareness, community outreach and involvement, professional development around culturally relevant instruction and curriculum, and purposeful and authentic family engagement. 

He has written that his early career experiences as an at-risk teacher shaped his approach to this work, and that a “reset” that starts with respect is needed on family and community engagement in public education. Macias also sees his role as a public educator as one in which he can “embrace the good fortune of being in a position to greatly influence.”

During her 17-year tenure in her current role in West Baton Rouge Parish Schools, Tammy Seneca has led the 4,200-student district to serve as an example for neighboring districts of how to put innovative technology to use.

As the overseer of the district’s technology professional development, her first question when helping teachers integrate a new tech tool into their lessons is, “What are you teaching?” With that information, she’s able to work with them to identify the best tool and usage for deeper learning and engagement.

Her staff also provides training for individual schools’ professional learning communities and holds summer professional development and tech challenges so teachers can practice with new tools and resources. When working with her team to vet tools and use strategies, her chief goal is to ensure the tech used — whether it’s with robots, Lego sets or virtual reality— is both engaging and easy to use so it can expand students’ learning experiences beyond the classroom.

When students returned to Bingham High School following pandemic closures, Vaega Toilolo recognized they may need a space to reset and adjust. Under his leadership during his first year as an assistant principal, the 2,600-student school applied for a Calm Room Grant from the Cook Center for Human Connection.

Co-chairing the project with another assistant principal, Toilolo engaged the school community in building out the room and setting protocols for assisting students. Students are allowed to use a special wellness pass if they begin to feel nervous, anxious, sad or any other emotion that could disregulate them and distract them from learning. 

When students come down to the calm room, which is located in the school’s counseling department hall, they check in with a wellness attendant and are given access to the room for up to 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, they are checked on by a wellness attendant and encouraged to return to class. If the student is not ready yet, they are referred to their counselor by the wellness attendant.

The room, according to those who worked with him in its development, is a prime example of Toilolo’s prioritization of student well-being, academics and physical activity. His philosophy as a leader and educator are centered around servant leadership and the idea that “an effective leader loves those he serves.”