Dr. Le Andrea Ware, principal at The Howard School, is one of nine finalists for Tennessee Principal of the Year. Dr. Ware is a finalist from the Southeast region. She will participate with other finalists in an in-person interview at the Tennessee Department of Education in Nashville to determine the state winner.
Dr. Ware returned to her alma mater at the end of the 2017-2018 school year as interim principal to lead The Howard School through the remainder of the year and her love for the school and community led her to make the move permanent. She has a passion for exuding HOPE (Helping Others Pursue Excellence) and working to foster an environment of success for all students and teachers. She also believes in shared leadership and empowering students and teachers to engage in school leadership in creating positive change.
“There are so many hard-working people - an administrator can’t do it alone,” said Dr. Ware. “I have great assistant principals and administrators. I have great teacher leaders, great staff members, and great community support. It is a ‘we journey’ the work we do here at The Howard School. “
Watch Dr. Ware’s Principal of the Year Video
Some of the Howard High innovative programs and strategies established under Dr. Ware’s leadership include:
• Transition Academy: A customized non-traditional learning program for students with extenuating circumstances
• Intermission vs. Suspension: Students are assigned to a smaller, intensified learning lab instead of short-term suspension
• Saturday Success Academy: Extended and enriched Saturday learning labs for high school scholars
• New Comer Center: One-year of intensified language acquisition support for non-English speaking students to build a strong English speaking foundation
• Intensified Support Services: Combining the skills of behavior specialists and school counselors to provide customized support to help restore and rebuild student
• Attendance Mentor Initiative: All faculty and staff members assigned as attendance mentors to help reverse chronic absenteeism trends of students.
The Tennessee Principal of the Year award is given annually to a school leader for outstanding service in education and exceptional leadership that drives overall improvements in his or her school. Candidates must have a minimum of three years' experience as a principal and a minimum of five years' experience in Tennessee public schools. Winners for Tennessee Principal of the Year will be announced at a banquet on Nov. 5 in Nashville.