Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay surprised Michael Randolph of Leesburg High School on Wednesday, Nov. 3, to tell him he has been named the district’s Principal of the Year. Her next stop was Beverly Shores Elementary School, where she announced Stacia Werner as Assistant Principal of the Year.
Randolph, a former English Language Arts teacher and assistant principal, came to Leesburg High as principal in 2017 having established a track record for being a data-driven, research-based, successful school leader. Under his leadership, Leesburg High launched the district’s first Construction Academy, established the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program, and increased the graduation rate from 71.6 percent in 2017-18 to 82.4 percent in 2019-20.
As the district’s Principal of the Year, Randolph can now enter the statewide competition for the Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership, which honors principals who have spearheaded initiatives to increase student performance, promote safe learning environments and establish partnerships with parents and community members.
Werner joined the district in 2014 as an instructional coach. She later served as a curriculum resource teacher at Treadway Elementary and was appointed assistant principal at Beverly Shores Elementary in 2019. She oversees Title I events and is an administrator for 4th grade, 5th grade, 1st grade, Exceptional Student Education and academic coaches. She is the school’s safety and health coordinator and the administrative liaison for the School Advisory Council.
As the district’s Assistant Principal of the Year, Werner can now compete for the statewide Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award, which honors assistant principals who have used teamwork and leadership skills to increase student performance, promote safe learning environments, and establish partnerships with parents and community members.
