Education

Ed.D., Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership
Ed.S., Specialist in Education, Educational Leadership
M.Ed., Master of Education, Administration and Supervision
B.S.Ed., Bachelor of Science in Education, English Education
Study Abroad Program at Jesus College
High School Diploma

University of Sarasota, 2003
University of Sarasota, 2001
State University of West Georgia, 1999
University of Georgia , 1996
Oxford University , England , 1995
Alexander High School , 1992

Certifications

National Board Certified Teacher
Adolescence and Young Adulthood English/Language Arts
Teacher Support Specialist
Educational Leadership
Gifted In-Field
Advanced Placement English Certification
Applied Communications Certification
English (6-12)

2001

2000
1999
1999
1998
1996
1996

Professional Experience, Coweta County School System

Principal
Assistant Principal
English Teacher, Head VarsityCheerleading Coach

Smokey Road Middle School, 2004-present
Arnall Middle School, 2002-2004
Newnan High School, 1996-2002

Other Professional Experience

Adjunct Instructor, Mercer University, 2011

Principal Coaching Program, Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals, 2011

Race to the Top Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards Review Team Member
     Harper-Archer Middle School, Atlanta Public Schools, 2011
Coweta County School System Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards Review Team

     Member: East Coweta High School, 2011; Arnall Middle School, 2010; Poplar Road Elementary

     School, 2010; Winston Dowdell Academy and Maggie Brown Alternative School, 2009; Thomas

     Crossroads Elementary School, 2007; Atkinson Elementary School, 2007

Assessor, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
     Adolescence and Young Adulthood/English Language Arts, College Board, 2002

Professional Affiliations

Governor Nathan Deal's Digital Learning Task Force, 2012

U.S. Department of Education Roundtable Session for RESPECT Bill, 2012

Principals Leadership Network, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, 2012-2014

Governor Nathan Deal's Advisory Board for Principals, 2011
U.S. Department of Education Policy Forum Capitol Hill Briefing Session, 2011
U.S. Department of Education Focus Group for Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary

     Education Act, 2011
Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE) Partnership Council
National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)
Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL)
Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP); Executive Board, 2012-2014
Georgia Association of Middle School Principals (GAMSP), Public Relations Director, 2005-2006

     and 2011-2012
Georgia Middle School Association (GMSA)
Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE)

Professional Awards and Recognitions

National Middle School Principal of the Year, MetLife/National Association of Secondary Schools, 2013

Georgia Music Educators Assocition Annual Administrative Leadership Award, 2012

Georgia Middle School Principal of the Year, Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals, 2012
Georgia Title I Distinguished School, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

School Made AYP, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Met-Life Foundation-National Association of Secondary School Principals Breakthrough School, 2011

Georgia Breakout Middle School, Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals, 2011 

President’s Professional of the Year Award, Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, 2011
Smokey Road Middle School Math Department featured in NASSP's Making the Mathematics Curriculum

Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education 18th Annual Bus Trip across Georgia, 2010
United States Army Freedom Team Salute Commendation, 2009
Georgia Outstanding Middle Level Educator Award, Georgia Association of Educational Leaders, 2008
Mike Campbell Exemplary Leadership Award, Georgia Association of Middle School Principals, 2007
Georgia Middle School Effective Program Award, Georgia Association of Middle School Principals, 2007
Newnan High School STAR Teacher, 2001
Coweta County STAR Teacher, 2001
State of Georgia District V STAR Teacher, 2001
Region 4-AAAAA Coach of the Year, Cheerleading, 2001

Newnan High School Teacher of the Year, 1999

Presentations at Educational Conferences/Events

Making Mastery-Based Assessment Work in Your Middle School Program

     Georgia Music Educators Association State Conference, 2013

Improving Outcomes for Special Education Students

     U.S. Education Delivery Institute K-12 Network, 2012

Building a School Culture for Improvement (in partnership with NASSP)

     Association for Middle Level Education National Conference, 2012

Succeeding with Challenging Students through Personalizing the Learning Environment

     Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals Fall Conference, 2012

Transforming School Culture

     National Association of Secondary School Principals Webinar, 2012

Transforming Culture through Collaboration, Personalization, and Effective Instruction

     South Metro Summer Leadership Conference, 2012

Improving Your School by Focusing on Each Child (in partnership with NASSP)

     Association for Middle Level Education National Conference, 2011

Planning and Assessing for Mastery

     Georgia Association of Educational Leaders Summer Conference, 2011
Innovation, Improvement, and Increasing Achievement at Smokey Road Middle School
     Rotary Club Coweta-Fayette, 2011
Met-Life Foundation–NASSP 2011 Breakthrough Schools: Strategies to Improve Student Achievement
     National Association of Secondary School Principals National Conference, 2011
Participating in the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education’s 18th Annual Bus Trip across

     Georgia:Coweta County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Coweta Program, 2011
Increasing Student Achievement in Title I Schools through Flexibility and Best Practices
     Georgia Association of Curriculum and Instructional Supervisors Fall Conference, 2010
Formative Assessment in Checking for Understanding: CLASS Keys Can Help!
     Crabapple Middle School, 2010
Formative Assessment: Checking for Understanding and Taking Action
     Georgia Middle School Association Regional Winter Conference, 2010
Using Rubrics to Provide Clear and Compelling Product Standards
     Coweta County School System, 2002-2009
An Integrated Approach to Physical Education
     Georgia Middle School Association Annual Conference, 2008
     Georgia Association of Middle School Principals Fall Conference, 2007

Display of Excellence of Promising Practices: Serving a Diverse Student Population in Higher Poverty

     Schools: Georgia’s Leadership Institute for School Improvement, 2007
Increasing Achievement for All AYP Subgroups
     Georgia Middle School Association Annual Conference, 2007
Increasing Achievement: Elements of School Improvement
     Carroll County Middle School Principals, 2007
Elements of School Improvement
     West Georgia RESA School Improvement Coordinators, 2006
Increasing Achievement: Reaching All AYP Subgroups in Higher Poverty Schools
     Georgia Association of Middle School Principals Fall Conference, 2006

Publication

Barron, L. (2003). Title IX and gender equity: Coaches' perceptions of cheerleading as a sport.
     Unpublished dissertation, University of Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida.

Member First United Methodist Church, Newnan Georgia
Enjoy Georgia football, hiking and snow skiing in Montana, traveling, reading