Julie Thompson’s favorite
part of the day is hearing
excited kindergartners call her
name as she walks through
the halls of Carter Elementary
School. Moments like that make
Thompson proud to be the recipient of
the Value Added Achievement Award,
presented by the Education Consumers
Foundation.

“This was a career highlight,” Thompson
said. “Our school was ranked fifth in the
state out of 760 schools and first in East
Tennessee. Most importantly, it means that
we are doing great work for the students at
Carter Elementary.”

Thompson has been principal of Carter
Elementary for six years. She earned
her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
elementary education from the University
of Tennessee and her Ed.S. in supervision
and administration from Lincoln Memorial
University. She taught fourth grade at
Corryton Elementary School for nine
years and was an administrative assistant
at Christenberry Elementary for two years
before coming to Carter Elementary.

“I have always wanted to be a teacher
since I was a little girl,” she said. “I had my
own full-size chalkboard and made my little
sisters play school with me in the summers.”

Thompson’s days are busy ones. She
typically arrives at school around 7 am and
greets the students as they walk though
the doors. Her days are spent helping out
in various areas of the school to make sure
things run smoothly, making the rounds
to classrooms, meeting with teachers,
addressing discipline concerns, returning
phone calls and handling paperwork. She
usually leaves school around 6 or 7 pm.

“I enjoy spending time in the classrooms
watching children learn and teachers teach,”
Thompson said. “The children make me
laugh every day with their conversations and
insights. I enjoy working with a great group
of dedicated teachers. They challenge me to
do my best each day.”

Being a principal comes with a unique
set of challenges, many of which are out
of Thompson’s control, such as building
maintenance issues and late buses.
Obtaining adequate funding to make sure
technology and materials are up to date is
also a challenge.

“We are fortunate to have a very
supportive PTO that works hard to provide
additional funding, but like most other
schools we have to be creative to provide
innovative materials for our students and
teachers,” she said.

Although the days are busy and the
challenges are numerous, Thompson
knows that the most important aspect of
her job can be seen on the children’s faces
every day.

“I love working with children and teachers
and the challenge of helping all children be
successful,” she said. “The children energize
me and encourage me to bring my best self
to school each day. I never know who is
watching what I do.” EK