Barbara Ector has been named the East Tennessee Assistant Principal of the Year by TN Association of Secondary School Principals. Ms. Ector is now a finalist for Tennessee Assistant Principal of the Year which will be announced in December.
Mrs. Ector spent close to 25 years in the middle school classroom, where she taught Social Studies. Her accolades in the classroom prepared her for a rich administrative career. In 2011, she was named the principal of The Denning Center, our district's alternative school. In 2017, the school board voted to close the separate school and move the alternative program under the umbrella of Cleveland High School. Mrs. Ector continued her work with our most at-risk students as the Dean of Students. She has spent the past two years as our administrator over Community Relations and 12th Grade. She was most recently named Vice Principal, which serves as second-in-command over staff-relations and fine arts, in addition to her work with seniors.
What clearly characterizes Mrs. Ector is her relationships with students, staff, parents and the community. She intervenes on behalf of students by developing Behavior Support Plans for those most at-risk. She supports teachers in their staffing needs and contributes to growth or action plans for struggling staff members. She is well respected in the community and can advocate for our students and our school in many settings because of the respect she has amongst her peers and in the community.
Cleveland High Schools principal, Autumn O’Bryan states, “Mrs. Ector is an outstanding professional who leads by service. She is a committed teammate, a positive role model, and an ethical leader.”