An acclaimed Raleigh principal is now North Carolina’s Principal of the Year
The leader of Raleigh’s oldest public high school is now the top principal in the state.
Elena Ashburn, the principal of Broughton High School near downtown Raleigh, was named the 2021 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year on Friday. Ashburn becomes the first Wake County principal to win the honor since the state began the program in 1984.
Ashburn was praised at Friday’s ceremony at the Umstead Hotel in Cary for her leadership during the coronavirus pandemic. Ashburn said that the state and nation are “at a pivotal time right now in public education.”
“We have seen that we are more malleable and more adaptable and innovative than we ever could have anticipated,” Ashburn said in an interview Friday after winning the award. “We need to leverage that malleable spirit, that innovative spirit to push forward and ensure that every kid, regardless of any external factor, receives an excellent education each and every day.”
Ashburn had been among eight finalists for North Carolina Principal of the Year, including Ericia Turner of Rocky Ridge High School in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system.
Ashburn, 35, started her career in education in 2007 as an English teacher for Teach For America at Southern High School in Durham.
She joined the Wake County school system in 2011 as a principal intern at Holly Ridge Middle School in Holly Springs. Ashburn went on to become an assistant principal at Fuquay-Varina High School and principal at East Garner Middle School.
“In her career as an educational leader in a myriad of leadership roles and settings,” Wake County Superintendent Cathy Moore said in a letter supporting Ashburn’’s nomination as Principal of the Year. “Dr. Ashburn has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to educational excellence for all students, and this has been most evident in her tireless commitment to ensuring students make significant academic progress.”
Making Broughton more inclusive
In 2017, Ashburn was named principal of Broughton., located near the Village District in Raleigh She joined a school, which opened in 1929, that is steeped in tradition but also has challenges for some students.
Ashburn said her meetings with school staff and students highlighted equity concerns. Ashburn said students shared concerns about lack of inclusivity in traditions and opportunities that she’s tried to address through a Staff and School Culture Committee she created.
“Broughton is an incredible school community,” Ashburn said. “It’s rich in history and so it’s important to simultaneously honor the school’s history and past while also ensuring that every child feels part of the community and that we’re moving towards a more excellent future.”
During her tenure, Broughton’s teacher turnover rate has sharply decreased, the graduation rate has reached a record high of 89.33% and the 9th-grade retention rate was cut in half. Student performance has also improved on the English and biology end-of-course exams.
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said Asbhurn’s leadership approach should be emulated by other principals.
“Elena exemplifies the best qualities of a strong and effective principal,” Truitt said in a news release. “She empowers teachers and staff and creates opportunities for them to grow and learn. She has enlisted the entire school community in defining a clear mission and purpose and been collaborative and intentional since day one..”
Awarded for her efforts
Ashburn’s leadership at Broughton has gotten attention.
She was one of five finalists for the district’s principal of the year in 2019 before being named the 2020 Wake County Principal of the Year in October.
In December, Ashburn was named the state’s North Central Region Principal of the Year. She said Friday it’s been a team effort at Broughton.
“I feel really like I’m representing many people, and not just myself, and the wonderful work that’s been going on at Broughton and in our community,” she said.
Ashburn will receive $3,000 for her personal use and $3,000 for Broughton. She will now compete to be named the national principal of the year.
In her new position, Wells Fargo will give Ashburn a stipend to to travel across the state serving as an ambassador for education. She will serve as an advisor to the State Board of Education and also to the board of directors for the Public School Forum of North Carolina.
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 2:02 PM.
