Strong values, a respectful demeanor, high expectations and a commitment to the success of all children are just a few of the leadership characteristics the J.C. Parks Elementary School community uses to describe their principal, Thadine Wright. On a daily basis, Wright takes the time to greet all students to and from school with hugs, handshakes and even the occasional high five. One of her goals as a leader is to maintain a positive and supportive dialogue with students, staff and parents. She makes herself available to listen to those in the Parks community and collaborates with all stakeholders to ensure the needs of each student are met.
She emulates what it takes to be a team and is the biggest supporter of her students. The vision she models at Parks is “to create the best environment where all students experience academic success, develop personal responsibility and achieve career readiness for the 21st century.” Wright embodies this and is often described as a “cheerleader” because she is always there to motivate and encourage children. For these abilities and more, Wright was chosen as the 2015 Charles County Public Schools Principal of the Year and recipient of this year’s Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award.
Wright said she is honored with the recognition, and humbled by her selection for an award she feels rewards her for doing a job she loves. “It’s a great honor to be recognized, and even just nominated, by the committee. It’s quite humbling, because I come to school every day with the intention of serving and protecting the students,” she added.
Wright began her career in education with Charles County Public Schools in 1989 as a special education teacher at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School. The first in her family to go to college, she studied early childhood education with the goals of working with young children and being able to make a difference in their lives. Her commitment to making a difference is evident in all that she does, and her students see that what she does supports their well-being.
Parks fifth grader Morgan Martin wrote a letter in support of Wright’s nomination and said students appreciate her hard work and see her commitment to their success. “I really appreciate all of the hard work she does for us students daily. She even lets us do fun stuff like fund raisers and field trips. Every time I see her or any other students at Parks, she greets us with a smile and she knows us by name. She is committed to her job, and all of the students, staff, teachers, and parents love her,” Martin wrote in her nomination letter.
To accommodate the needs of all learners, Wright works with Parks staff to customize programs and lessons, and shares strategies for use in the classroom. She coordinates weekly team planning sessions and monthly team leader meetings to discuss instructional practices and concerns, and solutions to better engage students. Wright dedicates time in her schedule to model classroom lessons, demonstrate guided reading groups and fills in the classroom when a substitute is needed. She also reviews interim reports and quarterly report cards to help monitor student progress and their possible need for additional assistance.
Ericka Akpeneye is a second-grade teacher at Parks. She said Wright not only leads by example, but helps her teachers grow as educators. “Mrs. Wright empowers her staff to strive for excellence by leading by example. She is equally dedicated to the needs of students and staff. She continually seeks ways to improve her craft. I have been fortunate that Mrs. Wright has helped me grow during my career,” Akpeneye wrote in a nomination letter.
Wright also emphasizes team work and the idea that everyone in the Parks community is responsible for student success. At the start of this school year, she coordinated a staff training using color murals to emphasize the importance of understanding each other’s differences to better work together for the benefit of students. A Hero Wall in the main office highlights staff recognition from parents and fellow colleagues. Wright supports extracurricular activities for students and helped launch new opportunities for students such as the dream team, Unified basketball, the yearbook and chess clubs, and the Community Christmas event, which supports the Parks community during the holidays. Additionally, she is a strong supporter, and organizer, of the Mustang Marathon, the annual fundraiser hosted by Parks in which everyone from the school community – students, staff, parents and volunteers – walk laps in the school parking lot to raise money for the school.
Charna Brooks, a learning resource teacher at Parks, said Wright embodies all of the qualities of a great leader. “Thadine has created a learning environment for all, staff and student alike, that is nurturing, safe, and a great place to learn and teach. She makes you feel appreciated and valued. That’s what a great leader can do! Uplift! Motivate! She always inspires us with her words ‘do what’s best for our students,’” Brooks wrote in an award nomination letter.
Before being named principal at Parks in 2011, Wright served as principal of Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School for four years. Prior to her appointment as an elementary school principal, Wright served as a vice principal at Jenifer during the 2006-07 school year, and as a vice principal at Parks from 2002 to 2006. Additionally, Wright was a teacher with CCPS for more than 13 years and worked with students at Mitchell, Mary H. Matula and Berry elementary schools. She said her former administrators helped her pursue her desire to become a school principal.
“I feel everybody brought to me becomes my responsibility to educate, and I have a duty to protect them from negative influences. My former administrators helped me to be dedicated and vocal toward this goal, and I realized I needed a bigger platform to serve and protect students – which being a principal provides me with every day,” Wright said.
Additional recognitions Wright has received during her career include a 2011 Governor’s Citation for the Maryland Principals Academy, the Charles County Public Schools 2006 Vice Principal of the Year award and the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) 1997 Mathematics Teacher of the Year award. She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in education from Duquesne University.
The Washington Post each year honors outstanding principals throughout the metropolitan area through its educational foundation. A committee reviews nominations throughout the school system and one principal is chosen to represent Charles County in the program as its Principal of the Year. The Washington Post Education Foundation will honor Wright during a ceremony and reception for the recipients of the Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards in May. She will be recognized by the Board of Education at the June 9 meeting.
