Building Leadership Capacity in Rural West Virginia 

Dr. Laurie Barron

 

Earning her place among the nation's best, Dr. Laurie Barron 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 NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “With genuine concern for her students’ welfare, Laurie Barron 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.”

 

Currently in her eighteenth year in education, Dr. Barron served six years as a high school English teacher and coach, two years as a middle school assistant principal, and nine years as a middle school principal in Newnan, Georgia. She has also been an adjunct professor at the college level. She is currently the superintendent of the Evergreen School District in Kalispell, Montana.

 

Dr. Barron is a National Board Certified Teacher and was honored as a Teacher of the Year and STAR Teacher. Her work as the principal of Smokey Road Middle School in Newnan, Georgia led to her selection as the 2013 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year and to Smokey Road Middle School’s selection as a one of five middle schools in the nation to be named a 2011 MetLife Foundation–NASSP Breakthrough School.

 

Dr. Barron is also a national speaker who provides motivation and professional development to teachers and administrators through promoting shared leadership, data-driven decision making, mastery-based assessment, inclusive teaching and learning environments, and job-embedded professional development. Most importantly, Dr. Barron believes that building relationships with students while celebrating what students do right is the key to success in any school. Dr. Barron lives in Whitefish, Montana with her husband Daniel and their daughter Emma, where together they enjoy hiking, rafting, biking, and snow skiing.

 

 

Michael Chapman

 

Mr. Michael Chapman has twenty-three years of high profile and successful leadership of large schools in a variety of circumstances and a proven track record of innovative school improvement. During this period he made a major contribution to the education service as a whole. In his most recent UK headship, as well as leading an outstanding school, he led on Building Schools for the Future (BSF) regionally and was a national Lead Consultant for the UK National College for School Leadership (NCSL). As a BSF pathfinder project (GBP 27.3 million), his school was recognized as a leading player in the development of an innovative BSF transformational vision of international importance. He is presently Headmaster at the prestigious St. Gilgen International School in Austria.

 

 

Michael Evans

 

Michael W. Evans, Sr., is currently the Executive Director of Secondary School Leadership in the Newport News Public School District in Newport News, Virginia and works part time as an Educational Consultant. He also is a 17-year adjunct professor in the department of school leadership at Regent University, in Virginia Beach Virginia. He is a visionary leader with 32 years of experience in the arena of education with seventeen years in school administration. He is highly skilled in effectively managing personnel and motivating staff to reach their fullest potential through his proven organizational, managerial and mentoring expertise.

 

Michael has earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Education; a Masters in Secondary Administration; with coursework towards an Educational Doctorate in School Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Throughout his educational career, Michael has worked as a Teacher/Coach, Assistant Principal, Principal, Adjunct Professor and Principal Executive Director for Student Leadership. During his tenure, Michael was recognized as the Virginia Student Council Association State Principal of the Year. He has shared his wealth of knowledge through the publication of such articles as co-author of “Changing School Environment: Restructuring One Virginia High School” and “Hiring the Best School Counseling Candidates to Promote Student’s Achievement”, both published in the NASSP Bulletin.

 

Michael’s most recent achievement came from the College Board. His school was recognized as one of four in the country to receive the coveted Inspirational Award from the College Board. This award is given to the top four schools in the country that demonstrate a commitment to academic rigor and the increased number of low social economic students taking challenging curriculums. As an accomplished keynote speaker, he has spoken in many forums around the country, including International stops in London, England, and Willingen, Germany on various topics such as “Motivating Teachers”; “Marching in the New Millennium”, What is Your Beat? “; Instructional Leadership Teams: The Principal and the Assistant Principal”; JROTC in American Schools”; and “Changing the Organizational Culture to Increase Student Achievement: Restructuring One Virginia High School”.

​