Meet Wake’s 2023 Principal of the Year. She’s empowering the staff at her school.
Winston Pierce is the Wake County school system’s 2023-24 Principal of the Year, and Lessie Anderson is the Assistant Principal of the Year.
The winners were announced Thursday night at a ceremony in Raleigh at the Angus Barn, one of the event’s sponsors.
Pierce has been principal of Farmington Woods Elementary School in Cary since 2010. She has been a finalist multiple times for Principal of the Year, including in 2022 when Annice Williams of Bugg Elementary School won.
District leaders pointed to how Pierce empowers her staff. Each member of her staff participates in one of five leadership teams that make school improvement decisions.
“I am so proud to be part of the Wake County Public School System and the magnet program,” Pierce said during her acceptance speech. “I’m so proud of Farmington Woods and the work that our staff does together as a team.”
Leader of award-winning magnet school
Pierce, 57, has worked in Wake County for more than 30 years, including the last 13 years at Farmington Woods. In 2018, Farmington Woods received Magnet School of America’s Elementary Magnet School of Merit Award, given annually to the nation’s top elementary magnet school.
During her acceptance speech on Thursday, Pierce talked about how much she loved working at Farmington Woods. That love was reflected back on her Friday morning when the school held a celebration for Pierce.
All 650 students and their teachers lined the hallways chanting Pierce’s first name while waving pompoms. Students then assembled outdoors for more celebration of their long-time school leader.
“I just feel complete love,” Pierce said in an interview Friday after the celebration. “Not only because I love this school so much, but the love that poured out in that walkthrough this morning was fantastic.”
Pierce said there’s a culture of celebrating accomplishments for students and teachers at Farmington Woods. But it was fun to be on the receiving end on Friday.
Prior to Farmington Woods, Pierce served as principal of Wendell Elementary and assistant principal of Millbrook Elementary in Raleigh.
Pierce holds master’s degrees in both Principal Fellowship and Early Childhood Education from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Pierce will receive a prize package that includes $1,000. She will compete in North Carolina’s Principal of the Year program.
This year’s other Wake Principal of the Year finalists were:
▪ Melody Brunson of Sycamore Creek Elementary in Raleigh
▪ Nolan Bryant of Cary High
▪ Jesenia Hafner of Forestville Road Elementary in Knightdale
▪ Mariah Walker of the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Raleigh
Assistant Principal of the Year
Lessie Anderson, an assistant principal at Willow Spring High School, was also a finalist last year for Assistant Principal of the Year.
Anderson has worked in the district for 10 years and has been an assistant principal at Willow Spring since 2021. Prior to that, Anderson was an assistant principal at Middle Creek High School, an instructional coach, and a math teacher at Knightdale High School.
The district cited Anderson’s efforts to create a school culture of trust and mutual respect among students, teachers and administrators.
During her speech, Anderson said she was an example of what could go wrong and an example of what can go right when you have the right systems and processes in place. Anderson was a product of Wake County schools, attending Poe Elementary as well as the school once known as Daniels Middle and Broughton High.
“We have not always been at a point where regardless of where we live, what we look like or how much money our parents make doesn’t matter when it comes to opportunity,” Anderson said. “We’ve made significant progress but we still have a ways to go.
“Today I want to say thank you for all those of that showed up for me every day.”
Anderson holds a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in business administration from East Carolina University. She also earned a post-master’s certificate in school administration from the UNC-Greensboro.
Anderson will receive a prize package that includes a $500 check.
The other finalists for Assistant Principal of the Year were:
▪ Kristen McCollum of Millbrook Elementary in Raleigh
▪ Molly Miller of Salem Elementary in Apex
▪ Melissa Oliver of Alston Ridge Elementary in Cary
▪ Sheree Smalls of River Bend Middle in Raleigh
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 8:21 PM.
