Sequatchie County High School assistant principal Shannon Land with students
Sequatchie County High School assistant principal Shannon Land
Sequatchie County High School veteran Assistant Principal Shannon Land was named Tennessee Assistant Principal of the Year by a state association.
She’s now eligible for consideration for the 2012 national award.
Land said she was “shocked” to be recognized.
“To have somebody say that I was doing a great job now, it was an amazing feeling,” she said Friday. “It has re-energized me to be an advocate for public education, especially in the political climates that we have now.”
The recognition by the Tennessee Association of Secondary School Principals and Virco Inc. is issued to one school assistant principal in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia every year, according to a news release.
As a state winner, Land is eligible for the association’s 2012 National Assistant Principal of the Year honor, officials said.
Land has been instrumental in improving students’ academic performance and the school’s curriculum development, Sequatchie County High School Principal Tommy Layne said.
“She’s a very caring person with the kids,” Layne said. “She’s very good, and her relationship with her students is excellent.”
Layne said Land is involved directly with curriculum development, and he credits her with helping get Sequatchie County High’s graduation rate over 90 percent.
“We’ve been on target for our graduation rate [under No Child Left Behind guidelines]. I put her in charge of that, and we have gone from a 79 percent graduation rate to a 93,” he said, noting that Land teamed with guidance counselors in the effort.
Land also added “a lot of more rigorous courses, and the kids are taking them and doing well in them,” he said.
Association officials said Land has “proven success in involving the local community in the life of the school, astute awareness of current and emerging issues and passion in improving the school’s learning environment.”
State winners will be honored at a three-day event in Washington, D.C., from April 18-21 that includes visits to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators, officials said.
“Research shows that principals and assistant principals create the conditions for schools to be successful and for students to succeed,” association Executive Director JoAnn D. Bartoletti said in the release.