Womble named state's 'Principal of the Year'

Eakin Primary Principal Janice Womble has been named Tennessee's Principal of the Year.

State education officials recognized Womble, who topped about 135 other nominees across the state, in an awards banquet Monday night in Nashville.

"To my knowledge, no principal in Bedford County has ever been named state Principal of the Year," said Ed Gray, Bedford County schools superintendent. "This award was given to the principal that I consider to be one of the best in the state. She is fully deserving of this award. Janice Womble does an outstanding job for the Bedford County Department of Education."

Womble told Eakin teachers and staff Thursday morning that she was shocked to receive the honor. She was at the banquet as one of the state's nine finalists.

"Honestly, I was shocked," she said. "Truly, truly shocked. I've never gone through such a humbling experience."

Honors passed on

Womble, who has been principal at Eakin for six years, credited the school's staff, parents and students with helping it shine despite challenging circumstances such as meeting state benchmarks regardless of a very diverse student population comprised of a large percentage of English as a Second Language students. Womble also said 16 percent of Eakin students are in special education classes.

"Student success is your focus, it's my focus," Womble said to Eakin teachers Thursday while thanking them for their hard work during a surprise ceremony they held in her honor. "It's why we are where we are ... We just don't accept failure as an option and because of that I was selected as principal of the year. I believe we are also school of the year and our students are students of the year."

The principal of the year may be selected as a result of a great school turnaround or success story, a story that goes beyond school data and test scores, said Rachel Woods, director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Education.

Gray recognized

Bedford County technology coordinator Joan Gray was one of the nine finalists for supervisor of the year. Womble said they were the only two representatives from the same district to make it to the finals that she saw at the banquet.

"That's very rare," Ed Gray said. "Bedford County was envied by a lot of districts sitting there (at the banquet)."

While enjoying the banquet, before she learned she had been named principal of the year, Womble said she was thrilled when she learned the nine finalists all received $500.

"I said to Joan, 'Well, I didn't know that!'" Womble laughed. "I was happy with just that. I was thrilled ... That's a lot of money for us, isn't it?"

Womble then learned she was named one of the three grand division winners across the state, with the other two coming from Memphis City Schools and Lenoir City High School.

"I was still just thrilled about the $500," she laughed.

Tough competition

The real shock came when the announcement was made that she had topped the 136 nominees as the principal of the year. She knew the selection progress was one that was extensive.

"Almost every school district nominates a principal," Woods said. "In each of our nine sub regions of the state a committee of state staff and others is formed to review the nominations and select a single finalist for the award. Those nine finalists are named at the end of the school year and undergo a second round of interviews and review. The single winner is chosen from the nine (finalists)."

She told teachers she intended for the award to challenge her, and in turn her school, to continue to strive to do better.

"These are challenging times," she said. "And standards are so much more rigorous."

She asked teachers to stay focused and optimistic and continue to work for the children.

Teachers recognized

"If anyone can do this it's you, teachers," she said. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather have here with me than you all sitting right here."

Prior to becoming principal at Eakin, Womble worked as assistant principal at Harris Middle School. She started out in Bedford County as a teacher at Liberty. She said she was the first physical education teacher hired by the county.

"I want to congratulate these administrators on their dedication to students and the continued improvement of education in our state," Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said in a press release issued Oct. 6. "Great leaders take risks and achieve great gains by doing so."

Connie Campbell, director of assessment and curriculum for Jefferson County Schools, was named supervisor of the year.