Lee Johnson
Principal of Wayne Early/Middle College High School

Lee Johnson

On the campus of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro you will find students hard at work, but at this college around 200 of those students are attending a high school that some call an innovative twist in public education.  “We have been charged not to look like a traditional high school, we have found our techniques to be very successful,” says Lee Johnson, Principal of Wayne Early/Middle College High School. 

Johnson believes the core of public education is ripe for change. 
“In the last five years there has been a big push for high school reform, 30 percent of students in North Carolina and across the nation are not graduating high school.  There’s a push on how we can do high school differently and that is part of the new schools approach to innovative high school.”

Students at Wayne Early/Middle College High School can graduate with their high school diploma and a college associates degree or transfer degree.  Class sizes are small with each grade level target at 60 students.  Currently there are 200 students in grades 9-12.

Johnson says the smaller numbers make a big difference academically.
“The smallness of our school makes sure that no one will be left behind, they know we care, they work harder and I think it is the culture that we build here. We have high expectations, but we build the culture from day one. The teachers applied to be here, the kids applied to be here and we set standards really high, but we are all working towards it together.”

The students and faculty here say the success and innovation comes from the leadership skills of their principal and her shared leadership style.

Jamila Terrell sees her principal pushing her to be her personal best.
“She makes the learning more personal, she takes the time out every day and talks to us to say are you getting it, if not ask questions.”

Rick White teaches science at Wayne Early/Middle College.  White says his principal reaches out to staff.  “She’s one of us, she doesn’t come in as the person that says O.K., I want to do this, this is the way it’s going to happen.  She comes in with a question, how are we going to approach this?”

English teacher Maurice Nicholson says Johnson keeps communication open and non-intimidating.  “Everyone feels comfortable in sharing their views because they know it’s going to be considered seriously, that’s one of the biggest things she does that leads to our success.”
 
Johnson looks to North Carolina’s Seven Critical Standards of Executive School Leadership developed by the Wallace Foundation.  Dr. Stephen Greene from the NC Department of Public Instruction is helping to realign the state’s school executive standards.  Greene says the standards serve as a guide for school leaders to pinpoint areas that improve a principal’s overall leadership effectiveness.

“Every principal and supervisor across North Carolina has been trained on the new standards. Each of the seven standards is unique in the way they are interwoven and the way they get principals to think about their own pathway to school improvement,” says Greene.

The standards include strategic, instructional, cultural, human resource, and managerial, as well as external development and micro-political leadership.

The standards focus on leadership in seven areas: strategic, instructional, cultural, human resource, and managerial, external development, and micro-political.

Every morning Principal Johnson weaves together the first five standards in what this principal calls her common planning meeting.

“The teachers feel comfortable in our morning meetings talking about things they are very excited about what is going on in their classroom or they will talk freely about something that is not working well in the classroom, or outside of the classroom.

Common planning is a time for strategy, ideas, opinions, and problem solving where all teachers and staff feel vital to the success of this professional learning community. 

Research from the Wallace Foundation shows that leadership is 2nd to actual classroom instruction, that is why principals like Lee Johnson know it is important for her leadership to permeate the entire school to create a community of collaboration that ensures success. 

“When people trust each other and they are comfortable and feel like they have a part of what’s going on, we can have success.   They can not go into their classroom and shut the door for the day…we are all in the whole boat together,” says Johnson.

Dr. Stephen Greene agrees with this shared leadership philosophy.

Wayne Early Middle College High School

Wayne Early/Middle College High School

Wayne Early Middle College High School is located in Wayne County on the campus of Wayne County Community College.  It is an Early College High School with a student population of 200.  Students are accepted from across the county.  The school strives for a student body that reflects the population of North Carolina with an emphasis on recruiting those students who would be the first in their families to attend college.

An Early College High School is an innovative approach that compresses the time to complete a high school degree and the first two years of college.  All high school courses are taught by secondary school teachers, while college courses are taught by community college instructors.

Students do not have to pay tuition or purchase college textbooks and are enrolled in both high school and college courses.  All of the high school courses are offered as honors courses.  Students enjoy a small class size and a rigorous curriculum.

Students maintain portfolios that represent their academic growth throughout their four years.  They are also required to complete projects for service learning and for graduation.

Additional Distinctions

North Carolina School of Excellence - Wayne Early Middle College High School was awarded the status of School of Excellence which is one of the highest distinctions that can be given to a high school based on its yearly improvement. To be a School of Excellence, a school must meet or exceed its growth goals and have 90 percent or more of its student scores at grade level or above.

NC New Schools Project Innovative High School – Wayne Early Middle College High School was selected to partner with the NC New Schools Project due to its innovative approach to education. The North Carolina New Schools Project (NCNSP) works to accelerate systemic, sustainable innovation in secondary schools across the state so that, in time, every high school in North Carolina graduates every student ready for college, careers and life in the society and economy of today.

Golden Leaf Foundation NC 1:1 Learning Technology Initiative – In order to prepare students for life and work in the 21st century, the Golden Leaf Foundation supplies teachers and students with laptops or other technology devices as well as the infrastructure and training that supports Internet use and a multimedia curricula.  Wayne Early Middle College High School was selected by the foundation in 2007 to serve in the demonstration pilot program for this grant.