 Tabari Wallace,
a Craven County school administrator who helped boost student performance at
two middle schools in his district, was named Wells Fargo North Carolina
Principal of the Year at an awards luncheon today in Cary. Now principal of
West Craven High School, Wallace was chosen from a field of eight regional
finalists named earlier this year.
Under Wallace’s
leadership, Craven County’s Havelock Middle School and H.J. MacDonald Middle
School both achieved notable academic gains with student populations
characterized by concentrations of poverty exceeding the district as a whole.
Wallace credited
teachers and students for the success at both schools.
“I attribute
these successes to my belief in my teachers’ instructional abilities and the
students’ motivation to overcome any faulty perception placed upon them by
non-believers,” Wallace said in the portfolio he submitted for the award. “The
overall driving force was the belief in my students’ ability to overcome and
meet the challenge to outperform their affluent counterparts when no one
believed they could do it.”
State
Superintendent Mark Johnson commended all eight regional finalists for
stand-out leadership in their schools and districts and offered his
congratulations to Wallace for his selection as the state’s principal of the
year.
“These are
school leaders who exemplify the kind of leadership that combines a formidable
array of skills, knowledge and instincts needed to inspire, guide and support everyone
with a role in school,” Johnson said. “We’re lucky to have them as role models
for North Carolina’s principals, teachers and students.”
Juan Austin, senior
vice president for community relations at Wells Fargo, said the progress
students have made in the schools where Wallace has been principal is the best
indication of his strengths as an educational leader.
"Wallace's
leadership, focus and determination have been key to his success as a
principal,” Austin said. “He has a special ability to recruit and retain
quality teachers in his school, and student achievement is remarkable. He
will make an excellent ambassador for public education in our state."
Wallace grew up in
a poor neighborhood in New Bern, he says in his biographical sketch, graduating
from New Bern High School and earning a full athletic scholarship at East
Carolina University as a walk-on member of the Pirates football team. After
earning a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services and playing professional
football, he was hired as a lateral-entry math teacher at New Bern High and was
offered an assistant principal position at Tucker Creek Middle School four
years later.
He was principal
of Havelock Middle School from 2008 to 2015 and principal of H.J. MacDonald
Middle School from 2015 to 2017. This year is his first as principal of West
Craven High.
Wallace earned
masters degrees in school administration, school counseling and rehabilitation
services, all from East Carolina University, where he is now a doctoral
candidate in education.
During his two
years at H.J. MacDonald Middle, the school made gains in student performance
and topped overall average proficiency rates for the district and state for the
2016-17 school year. The school exceeded growth expectations under the state’s
annual accountability measures in each of his two years leading the school.
Wallace noted that the gains followed redistricting for the school that
increased the proportion of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch
from 19 percent to 64 percent.
“Some thought
this was an unattainable request due to the new socioeconomic status and the
perceived challenges of the new student population,” Wallace wrote to the
selection committee.
The other
regional Principal of the Year finalists for 2018 were:
- Northeast: Michelle White, D.F.
Walker Elementary (Edenton-Chowan Public Schools);
- North Central: Jonathan Enns,
Fuquay-Varina High (Wake County Public Schools);
- Sandhills: Jim Butler,
Richmond Senior High (Richmond County Schools);
- Piedmont-Triad: Tracy Kimmer, Yadkin
Early College (Yadkin County Schools);
- Southwest: Titus L. Hopper,
Cleveland Early College High (Cleveland County Schools);
- Northwest: Desarae Kirkpatrick, Nebo
Elementary (McDowell County Schools) and
- Western: Melissa Godfrey, Andrews
Elementary (Cherokee County Schools).
Regional winners
will each receive $1,000 for personal use and $1,000 for their schools.
As Wells Fargo
Principal of the Year, Wallace receives $3,000 for personal use and $3,000 for
his school. He also receives professional development and resources supporting
global awareness in the curriculum for his staff from Education First Tours, a
custommade NC Principal of the Year signet ring and pendant from Jostens Inc.,
a complimentary two-night stay at the new Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown
Chapel Hill-Carrboro, and resources to help combat child hunger from the
Principal of the Year program’s newest sponsor, No Kids Hungry NC.
While continuing
to lead his school for the next year, Wells Fargo will furnish him with a
stipend to travel across the state serving as an ambassador for education. He
will serve as an advisor to the State Board of Education and also to the board
of directors for the NC Public School Forum. He will also compete for national
recognition through the NC Principals and Assistant Principals Association and
will serve on the 2019 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year
Selection Committee.
Additional
information about the NC Principal of the Year program, is available online. You also can follow the North Carolina Principal of the
Year finalists on Twitter at #NCTOYPOY.
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