Cleveland Middle Principal Leneda Laing is among three finalists from East Tennessee that were announced Tuesday by the Tennessee Department of Education for the 2020-21 Tennessee Principal of the Year award.

There are nine finalists representing each Center of Regional Excellence (CORE) region in the state, with three finalists in each Grand Division-West, Middle, and East.  
 
“All across the state, our exceptional school and district leaders are working tirelessly to ensure that students are safe, fed and continue to have access to high-quality learning opportunities—all while leading their communities through a totally new era of education,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Strong leadership is vital to the success of our students and educators, and I am grateful to these incredible leaders who are doing so much to serve students.” 
 
The Tennessee Principal of the Year award is awarded annually to a school leader for outstanding service in education and exceptional leadership that drives overall improvements in his or her school. To qualify, candidates must have a minimum of three years' experience as a principal and a minimum of five years' experience in public schools. In addition, all nominees must have a proven track record of exceptional gains in student learning.  
 
The three finalists for 2020-21 Principal of the Year in East Tennessee are: 
 

 

“Congratulations to each of these individuals-- it is such an honor to be named a finalist and so well deserved,” said Dr. LeAndrea Ware, 2019-2020 Tennessee Principal of the Year and Principal of The Howard School. “Tennessee’s outstanding school leaders and supervisors work tirelessly on behalf of their students, teachers, and schools every single day and deserve to be recognized at the state level. It’s been a great experience to be part of this program for the last year, and I am excited for the next cohort of honorees.” 

Each year an outstanding public school supervisor earns distinction as the Tennessee Supervisor of the Year. To qualify, candidates must demonstrate a record of implementing innovative programs and managing and motivating students and faculties. Additionally, the nominees must have a minimum of three years' experience as a administrator and a minimum of five years' experience in public schools.  
 
The three finalists for 2020-21 Supervisor of the Year in East Tennessee are: 

Principal and Supervisor of the Year finalists will proceed to an interview that will be held in in the coming weeks where each will meet with a panel of interviewers made up of department staff and other education leaders. Winners for each Grand Division and the Tennessee Principal and Supervisor of the Year will be selected from this group and announced this fall.