CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has named Dr. Timisha Barnes-Jones, principal of West Charlotte High School, as the 2018 Principal of the Year.
Kannapolis native Barnes-Jones was surprised by Dr. Clayton Wilcox, superintendent of CMS, at a ceremony held in the school’s auditorium.
“I’m really humbled and feeling very blessed” Dr. Barnes-Jones said.
She has been an educator for more than 21 years, 19 of those with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Barnes-Jones’ ability to lead with heart and hard work led to her selection. Dr. Denise Watts, Center City 1 learning community superintendent, said Barnes-Jones’ leadership has led to “significant changes to student and staff culture, reviving school pride and cultivating an environment in which students and teachers now thrive.”
“From the time she was really two years old, we recognized a special gift in her,” Barnes-Jones’ mother, Mary Barnes, a retired educator from Kannapolis City Schools said.
Barnes said her daughter began singing publicly at age nine and that she has performed for dignitaries, as well as in “The Color Purple.”
Barnes-Jones applied her talent to the education field, teaching music at Winterfield Elementary, Highland Renaissance Academy, Phillip O. Berry, Olympic and Independence high schools before moving into administration.
She has a bachelor’s degree in music from Davidson College, a master’s degree in education from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a doctorate in educational leadership from Gardner-Webb University.
The now principal of the year began her tenure at West Charlotte as an assistant principal after working at E.E. Waddell and Vance High Schools. She became West Charlotte’s co-principal in 2013 when the school had two campuses and took the helm the next year.
Barnes-Jones said she became a principal because she wanted to have an impact on the lives of students.
“I want to be a champion for those who don’t have advocates, to expand my reach from the classroom and create a culture where we’re seeing the light bulbs go off,” she said. “Some students are one caring adult away from being a success. I had those people who believed in me and I’m happy to give back in that way.”
Barnes-Jones said she has always believed in West Charlotte’s potential for success and giving students the right environment to yield positive results. According to the most recent data, the school improved from a grade of D to C in one year and showed an increase in college and career readiness. Since her tenure at West Charlotte, graduation rates have improved over 54 percent and in 2017, West Charlotte was removed from the recurring low performance school list and designated a school of high growth by NC.
For the past three years, the school has celebrated with Decision Day, which recognized students who were going on to 36 colleges and three branches of the military. This year, she launched four career academies and improved AP enrollment by 88 percent.
“They are seeing they can achieve at high levels,” Barnes-Jones said, “and they have real options for the 21st century.”
