By: Lee County Education Foundation
SANFORD — Back in 2014, in the early days of the Lee County Education Foundation’s “Head of Class” project, J. Glenn Edwards Elementary became the first — and so far the only — school to win the award in consecutive years.
The school hasn’t won since.
So when Emily Mize became principal there in 2022, winning again became a priority and one of her primary goals.
“It’s been over a decade since J. Glenn Edwards earned the Head of Class award,” Mize said. “There were many years when we felt disheartened. So many amazing things are happening at JGE that may not be reflected in test scores.”
Test scores and improved student performance from the most recent school year, however, do reflect the excellence Mize and her staff have been seeking, making her goal a reality: Edwards Elementary has been announced as the Education Foundation’s newest Head of Class winner.
Mize and the rest of the faculty, staff and students will receive the 2023-24 Head of Class award at a Jan. 29 celebration at the school
In announcing JGE as the newest Head of Class recipient, Education Foundation board chairman Susan Keller said the award’s purpose is to recognize and reward a single elementary school for demonstrating stellar performance in a given school year. In addition to the honor, and having the Head of Class trophy at the school for a full year, the recognition comes with a $75,000 cash prize — to be shared among all faculty and staff at the school — as an incentive. It’s an increase from the $50,000 that has been awarded to past HOC winners, and has been bolstered by an anonymous pledge to the program of $25,000 a year for the next five years.
“The longer-term goal of HOC, for the Lee County Education Foundation, is for it to show our support for educators, encourage friendly competition, and spur all school teams to work smarter and collaboratively to move the needle for all LCS elementary students,” Keller said. “We are so excited for Principal Mize and her amazing J. Glenn Edwards team, who set their sights on Head of Class and worked together to achieve remarkable success for their students.”
Head of Class was created by the Foundation in 2010 to formally recognize excellence in Lee County’s elementary schools. It was the first of its kind in North Carolina: a public-private partnership using incentives to enhance achievement in the local schools.
The 2023-24 Head of Class prize is the 12th awarded by the Foundation. (No awards were made during Covid-19 pandemic years 2019-20 and 2020-21.) The Foundation’s scoring matrix includes a number of student performance measurements, including proficiency and growth, utilizing data from the state’s EVAAS (Education Value-Added Assessment System) software tool.
HOW EDWARDS DID IT
In joining Greenwood Elementary (four Head of Class awards) and Deep River elementary (three awards) as the only schools to earn the honor more than twice, Mize said the achievement came as the result of a highly intentional approach going into the 2023-24 school year. Mize’s first objective: creating an environment where students and staff were enthusiastic about — and took pride in — being part of the school.
“I wanted J. Glenn Edwards to be an experience,” she said, “not just a job.”
JGE’s School Improvement Team met over the summer of 2023, then followed up during the opening weeks of the school year to conduct a thorough needs assessment to help determine and prioritize goals.
“We took a strategic approach in developing our master schedule to ensure we were maximizing every minute of the school day,” Mize said. “We streamlined various systems and implemented consistent protocols across all grade levels.”
She and her staff also made a commitment to “set aside our emotions and concentrate on how to genuinely move the needle forward at JGE” — a necessity, Mize said, because test scores “feel deeply personal” to teachers and school leadership.
Among Edwards’ other initiatives: implementing “mini glows,” or smaller goals, to keep momentum toward those School Improvement Goals in place; extra weekly professional development sessions that led to tailored strategies to address specific needs in each grade level; and organized family-focused events to share more about curriculum and student expectations; and to help parents how to better understand their child’s academic levels and performance.
Mize and her team also utilized Professional Learning Communities to analyze student progress at every academic level. And as the school year progressed, the team made necessary adjustments to those strategies.
“Regular discussions and action plans were crucial to guarantee that no child falls through the cracks,” she said.
The disappointment of JGE not meeting expected growth in 2022-23, and seeing hard work result in failed expectations, motivated Mize and her team.
“Last school year, we tackled the year with an open perspective, implemented different strategies, and the outcome was worth the effort — and the wait!” Mize said.
She characterized the school’s reaction at the surprise announcement — which occurred in a staff-wide meeting at the end of the school day back on Dec. 19 — as “ecstatic.”
“I hope this award will inspire the staff to recognize the incredible value they bring and instill in them the confidence they deserve,” Mize said.
GIVING CREDIT, SHARING ADVICE
Dr. Chris Dossenbach, superintendent of Lee County Schools, said the success of Edwards students, and of Mize and her team, didn’t happen by chance.
“It is the result of intentional and meaningful work,” he said. “The school has cultivated a culture where students feel welcomed, appreciated, and empowered to learn at high levels while feeling safe to make mistakes along the way. Through a team approach, the staff analyzed student data and strategically planned lessons and activities to meet the individual needs of every student. They made learning attainable, enjoyable, and the top priority every day.”
Mize, who began her teaching career at Broadway Elementary in 2011, came to Edwards in 2014 as part of the Master of School Administration program she was pursuing at UNC-Chapel Hill. She became assistant principal there the following year. She credited JGE’s former principal, Dr. Natalie Kelly, for her mentorship — taking Mize under her wing and demonstrating the art of effective leadership. She said Kelly, now Lee County Schools’ Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, has been “a friend and a sister to me”
The dedication of the staff at Edwards continues to serve as inspiration for Mize and for the students there. Mize also cited wisdom and insights from her fellow principals and for sharing lessons they’ve learned.
As a new Head of Class winner, what’s Mize’s advice for her fellow educators? It starts, she said, with “loving your school fiercely.
“Be authentic to yourself and be present,” she said. “Immerse yourself with your staff and be in trenches with them!”
Other keys, according to Mize:
Recognize that there will be peaks and valleys. “It’s an emotional rollercoaster, but don’t dwell on the lows; keep your focus on what truly matters, our children.”
Welcome change. “Be open minded and brave enough to explore new ideas that may differ from the conventional ways.”
Ask plenty of questions “to deepen your understanding and think outside the box!”
And finally, she said, “Stay intentional in every action!”
LCEF founder and former N.C. Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker reiterated that the Head of Class award was designed to create a healthy competition among the K-5 schools in Lee County, while also helping to enhance student performance.
“The Foundation and the whole community salutes and congratulates J. Glenn Edwards for winning this award for the 2023-24 academic year,” he said.
Former Sanford mayor and Foundation board member Chet Mann said Mize and her Edwards team and the students were to be commended for the excellence they’ve collectively demonstrated.
“The Head of Class award itself is a ‘thank you’ for caring and setting the standard for our children high but the real benefit is seeing the pride and confidence it brings to our children and the sense of joy and accomplishment it gives our teachers,” Mann said. “Having been a public servant and former mayor I have seen firsthand how critical our public education system is to our community. We are so grateful for our educators in Lee County.”
Foundation board member Frank Proctor called the work accomplished at Edwards Elementary as “a wonderful example” to Lee County.
“It takes hard work by an entire school to boost academic performance the way that J. Glenn Edwards has over the past year,” he said. “This award represents the accomplishment of every member of the J. Glenn Edwards faculty and staff, every student, and every parent. You are a wonderful example to the community as to what a school that works together to grow academically can accomplish.”
“It is clear,” Foundation board member Kirk Bradley added, “that Principal Emily Mize is a great leader and has focused her team on achieving a significant performance-related goal with Head of the Class. Kudos to her and the entire J Glenn Edwards team. Bravo!”
Edwards Elementary’s accomplishment provides an encouraging reminder, according to Dossenbach.
“There’s a powerful lesson here for all of us in the community,” he said. “Setting goals, working hard to achieve them, and having fun along the way are principles we can all learn from. J. Glenn Edwards Elementary has shown us that with dedication, teamwork, and a shared vision, we can achieve remarkable things.”