A Message from the AASSP President
It is my hope that you have had a great beginning to second semester and that you will share my personal goal to utilize any break that you have whether it be a week or a day that you rest, avoid sickness, and more than anything- spend as much time with family and friends as possible. Our physical and mental wellbeing is vital for our leadership. The time spent with these people brings joy to my life, thus making me happy. Because I, like many of you, spend most of my time working diligently to help other people. When we get a break, we definitely need to ensure we are focused on our health, happiness, and personal livelihood. I have learned to leave school work - at school - during these kinds of breaks.
I know you have also set personal and professional goals. Setting these goals provide us with growth opportunities. Seize the day, week, month, and year! I want to encourage you to self-reflect. I want 2024 to be the best year you have ever had.
I also want, not only to congratulate, but to welcome your newest leaders to the AASSP Executive Board. Mr. Willie Moore has been elected as our Vice President and Mrs. Terina Gantt will be our Vice-President Elect. These two are fantastic leaders and will continue to drive the success of AASSP. Willie is the principal of Athens High School, home of the Golden Eagles and Terina is principal of Demopolis High School, home of Tigers. I have been very fortunate to know of these two and their involvement in our affiliate. I am excited for them to bring their knowledge and wisdom to our organization. They are passionate, successful leaders.
CLAS Advocacy Days will be coming up this spring. This is a great opportunity for us to meet with our legislative constituents and to voice our stances on educational policy in Montgomery. Please consider attending! My first time going to this event was an “eye opener” for me. Now…I won’t miss an opportunity to meet with our legislators. This is an opportunity for you to voice your concerns and to allow lawmakers to hear firsthand what your stance is on their potential policies. They need to know YOU and how YOU FEEL. The first CLAS Hill day will be April 10th. I certainly hope to see you there. Contact the CLAS Office for further details.
I hope you have had a great start to the 2nd semester. Your AASSP Executive Board members are here to assist you if/when it is needed.
It has been an amazing opportunity to serve as the 2023 Alabama High School Principal of the Year. Throughout 2023 I met some very talented school leaders in our state and across our country. As relationships were built with these individuals I was reminded that despite living in different areas and serving different schools we are all similar and can learn from one another. Reflecting on this past year a few key “takeaways” come to mind that I believe apply to all of us and would like to share with each of you.
- Leaders have to be authentic. Understanding who you are, being confident in who you are, and recognizing your strengths and weaknesses will make you a stronger leader. With authentic leadership, you can create an atmosphere of growth and reflection that will lead to success.
- Humility goes a long way. No matter your role, at some point in time we all need help and we’re all going to make mistakes. Being humble enough to recognize this is important to our growth and success as leaders and to those we lead.
- Embrace “productive struggle”. Now more than ever it is important to instill in our teachers, students, and communities the need for productive struggle. We must teach that it’s ok for something to be hard because the aim is not to give up, show some grit, and continue to work to reach your fullest potential. The only way we get better is to challenge ourselves and embrace productive struggle.
- Connect. We all know how important it is to connect with our students, faculty, and community, but how often are we placing importance on connecting with other school leaders? We all have similar issues, hardships, setbacks, and successes no matter where we serve. Therefore build relationships, talk to colleagues, and take part in opportunities provided to us by AASSP, AAMSP, and NASSP to connect. In the words of Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors “Find your people, then you’ll find yourself”.
To close, I hope all of you have a fantastic second half of the school year and encourage all of us to be authentic and humble leaders who choose to embrace productive struggle and connect with fellow school leaders.
Willie Moore, Vice President
Willie Moore, a seasoned educator with 30 years of experience, has made a significant impact in the education sector. His journey began as a dedicated teacher and coach in both Dallas County and Bibb County. Holding a Bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama, he further enriched his knowledge through postgraduate degrees from Jacksonville State University and Alabama State University.
Currently, Willie Moore serves as the Executive Principal of Athens High School in Athens City Schools. His leadership extends beyond the school walls, as evidenced by his active involvement in various committees, including NASSP and AASSP. Notably, he holds the prestigious position of AASSP District 8 President, showcasing his commitment to educational excellence at a broader level.
His outstanding contributions have not gone unnoticed, as he was recognized as the AASSP District 8 Principal of the Year, reflecting his dedication, leadership, and impact on the educational community.
Terina Gantt, Vice President-Elect
Terina has been an educator in the State of Alabama for 28 years. She has served in various positions, from Physical Education teacher, Physical Science Teacher, and Gifted Education teacher to collegiate volleyball coach. After earning her M.S. in Instructional Leadership from Jacksonville State, Terina served as an Assistant Principal at Pike Road High School for four years before joining the staff at Demopolis High School as Principal. In 2021, Terina was selected by her peers as Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals District 3 Principal of the Year and was named a finalist for State Principal of the Year. In 2022, she was elected the AASSP District 3 President and will remain in that office for three years. In 2023, she was elected as the Vice President-Elect of AASSP. She is also a 2023 graduate of the Superintendents’ Academy. Terina is married to Eddie Gantt, who is also a lifelong educator. They have two children, Jackson, 22, and Joseph, 19, who are living their dream of playing collegiate baseball.
Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP)
Email: katrina@clasleaders.org
Website: www.clasleaders.org/aassp
Location: Council For Leaders in Alabama Schools, Pelham Street, Montgomery, AL, USA
Phone: 8002393616
