Instilling a sense of self-worth in students

Thank you all for supporting the New Leaders Giving Tuesday Campaign! Your contributions support Allyson, a principal in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. As a student, teacher and parent in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Allyson has always had a deep commitment to serving her students and community.

Allyson’s desire to provide a better education for high-need students stems from a strong family history of service in CMS as well. Her father retired after over 30 years as an elementary principal, and her mother is in her 44th year with the district. All three of Allyson’s children attend schools in CMS, and she herself was a student in the district during the busing plan that was mandated to ensure a high quality of education for every student.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Allyson held the position of Dean of Students at a nearby high school. She began her career at Myers Park High School, where she spent 10 years teaching math to students in grades 9-12. While teaching alternative education through the CMS Right Choices Program, all of Allyson’s students were successful in passing the Algebra I exam, even though many of these students had failed the course at least twice before. Allyson then taught math at Ardrey Kell High School for an additional two years, where she also coordinated the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) program, a national program designed by Bill and Melinda Gates to drive instructional improvement for all educators.

Allyson’s greatest motivation is to instill a sense of self-worth in all students and help every student believe that they can be successful. Her goal as a school leader is to create a culture where all students feel welcome and want to be in school.

Thank you all for supporting Allyson and New Leaders.