Email
Print

Barron (BSEd ’96) is the fifth school leader from Georgia to be named a national principal of the year since 2008, which include two other UGA College of Education alumni Wesley Taylor (BSEd’84), Sheila Kahrs (EdD ’92), Mark Wilson and Molly Howard.

Video  interview with Laurie Barron

University of Georgia College of Education alumna Laurie Barron, of Coweta County’s Smokey Road Middle School, has been named the 2013 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year.

The award was announced Tuesday at an assembly attended by students, teachers, district staff members, and representatives from the Georgia Department of Education and the governor’s office. Barron will be honored during a black-tie gala on September 21 in Washington, D.C. to kick off National Principals Month.

Earning her place among the nation’s best, Barron (BSEd ‘96), of Newnan, was the leading force behind the turnaround of Smokey Road Middle School. When she took over in 2004, she was the fourth principal to run the school in five years. However, by demonstrating her commitment to the success of students and staff members, she was able to tackle the rampant discipline problems, high absenteeism and low student achievement.

“NASSP’s experience has taught us time and again that nothing is more challenging or essential to school improvement than changing the school’s culture,” said National Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “With genuine concern for her students’ welfare, Laurie Barron has established at Smokey Road Middle School a model climate of what the Breaking Ranks school improvement framework requires—a personalized environment where every student is known and feels valued.”

Today, shared leadership, data-driven decision making, and job-embedded professional development help teachers provide personalized lessons. Parents, business leaders, and other stakeholders play an active role in the success of Smokey Road. And most importantly, students receive extensive support through supplemental instruction, mentoring, behavior intervention, and recognition programs, she said.

Although the turnaround process took several years and a commitment from the entire community, the transformation would not have been possible without Barron’s leadership. Since 2003, absenteeism has decreased 11 percent and students have raised state test scores in reading and math by more than 20 percent. The diverse middle school, which made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the last six years, was named a 2011 MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough School for being high-achieving while serving a large number of students living in poverty. It has also received distinction as a Georgia Title I Distinguished School for the past four years.

“What an amazing day, a day I will always cherish and never forget!” said Barron. “It is difficult to express what it meant to me to share this recognition with the Smokey Road faculty, staff and students who made this honor possible, with our board of education and central office staff who have always supported our innovations to improve student achievement, with our business partners and community who are so generous to our students, with my colleagues across the state who have inspired me to grow and learn, and with my family who often sacrifices so much to allow me to do what I love each day.

“I will always remember that our faculty and staff’s respect for and belief in students, drive for excellence, passion for teaching and desire to serve others is what has allowed me to enjoy this prestigious honor, and I pledge to recommit myself to serving the staff and students of Smokey Road as I have the opportunity to represent our school, county, state and nation in sharing and advocating for the best in public education.  By far, the best part of this honor is that others throughout our state and nation will see the high quality of education and high caliber of teaching in the Coweta County School System that is represented by Smokey Road Middle School.”

An educator for more than 17 years, Barron taught English at Newnan High School for six years before becoming an assistant principal at Arnall Middle School and then moving to the helm of Smokey Road.

National Board-certified, Barron was Newnan High School’s Teacher of the Year in 1999 and NHS STAR Teacher in 2000 and 2001. She has served on the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Partnership Council and the Governor’s Education Advisory Board for Principals, and is an active member of both the GASSP and NASSP. She has been the recipient of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders Outstanding Middle Level Educator Award and the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals Exemplary Leadership Award.

Barron received her bachelor’s degree from UGA in English education.  Her husband, Daniel, is also a UGA grad (BSEd’93) in exercise and sports science. He spent 12 years in education and was assistant principal at East Coweta Middle School, when he decided to enter the private sector. He now works with Southwest Airlines in the maintenance and engineering department with technical operations.

“My husband and I both graduated from the University of Georgia and are still avid fans and supporters. We enjoy spending fall Saturdays in Athens with our football season tickets, and we try to get back a few times a year for other events,” said Barron. “I am looking forward to being there this December when the Smokey Road Middle School Wind Ensemble performs as a guest band at the 22nd Annual University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival.”

Barron received her master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of West Georgia, and her specialist and doctorate degrees in educational leadership from the University of Sarasota.

Barron is the fifth school leader from Georgia to receive recognition as national principal of the year since 2008. She joins the ranks of top Georgia principals which include two other UGA College of Education alumni Wesley Taylor (BSEd’84), Sheila Kahrs (EdD ’92), Mark Wilson and Molly Howard.

The national principal of the year search began in early 2012 as each state principals association selected its state principal of the year. From this pool of state award winners, a panel of judges selected three middle level and three high school finalists. The national middle level winner, Laurie Barron, and the national high school winner, to be named in September, were then selected.

The two national award winners will each receive a grant of $5,000. Grants must be used in the school to improve learning (e.g. a special school project or professional development). NASSP and MetLife are strongly committed to supporting the visions of unsung school leaders.

Video interview with Laurie Barron.