A longtime MNPS administrator, recognized for the strides being made at Whites Creek High School, has been named Principal of the Year for Middle Tennessee by the Tennessee Association of Secondary School Principals.
Dr. James Bailey, who is in his eighth year serving as executive principal of Whites Creek High School, will be recognized at the association's Winter Conference on February 7. The association praised Dr. Bailey for Whites Creek's “tremendous” academic gains, for working to improve the school's culture and climate, and for promoting a positive work environment for faculty and staff.
Dr. James Bailey
Whites Creek is a School of Innovation, also called a Priority school, meaning it's in turnaround mode. Now, as the school's student test scores rise, attendance climbs and suspension rates plummet, Dr. Bailey is confident the days of Priority status will soon be over.
“We're on our way out!” he said.
Dr. Bailey said he and his team have been laser-focused on using Whites Creek's budget to hire staff members who can help the school improve its academics and get families more engaged. He has hired a data specialist, an attendance expert and a community involvement specialist.
“Really having our parents be more hands-on,” he said, “has made a tremendous impact.”
Dr. Bailey, a 17-year MNPS veteran, previously served as an assistant principal at Hillsboro and Pearl Cohn high schools and a teacher at Jere Baxter Middle School. He said he sees himself as a “servant leader” who works hand in hand with faculty and staff in their mission to realize Whites Creek's potential.
“We all jump in and do this together as a team,” he said.
Renita Perry, Executive Director of the MNPS Schools of Innovation office, which oversees all of the district's Priority Schools, said Dr. Bailey is “resilient, reflective and results-oriented.”
“This work is not easy,” she said. “But Dr. Bailey does it with such humility, embracing every teacher and every student - every day. We are honored to work alongside him, and we are extremely proud.”