Janene Ashley
Position: Principal
School: J. E. Harper Elementary School
School District: Webster Parish School Board
City, State: Minden, LA
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Janene Ashley was nominated by her secretary, Vicki Semmes.
After 17 years of teaching pre-kindergarten, Ms. Ashley moved into an administrative position. She then applied for a principal position and was selected to be leader of a K-1 elementary school in Minden, LA. Starting her sixth year, Ms. Ashley strives to provide staff and students with the best learning environment possible.
During her years as an administrator, she and her staff have worked to create a vision that focuses on the educational foundation. The kid-friendly vision statement is "Building the Foundation...One Child at a Time". The team has expanded its vision to focus on building relationships with staff, students, and the community. Ms. Ashley has spearheaded the school's newest initiative, the summer community outreach program. She planned for her team to be part of the local library Summer Reading Program, local churches' summer programs, and her district's Back to School Bash. In addition, she planned a Paperbacks and Popsicles event at her local recreation center. By handing out paperback books and popsicles, the team built relationships with the community. The plan is to unite with local churches to provide transportation to school events, such as the annual Title 1 meeting and open house.
To make a positive impact on her students, Ms. Ashley encourages staff members to make home visits and positive phone calls during the year. She also strives to make at least five positive phone calls to parents per week from her office. Another way she leads her staff in making a positive impact on students is offering a reading incentive to increase the scores. With the help of donations, Ms. Ashley's school will be able to provide bicycles to two lucky children for earning points by testing with the Accelerated Reader (AR) program. Another incentive will be to give students a T-shirt for learning all their sight words.
Ms. Ashley exhibits exemplary leadership skills by providing new principals tips on providing teacher feedback with an informal walk-through form. She has been a District Principal Fellowship member for two years. This team researches, plans, and presents ideas during their district leadership team's professional development. Although she has earned a highly effective rating on the state professional observation rating scale every year, she continues to strive to look at data closely to critique strategies and change and, if needed, to increase scores. Her school goal this year is that 80% of students will be benchmark on the reading assessment. First grade scores have increased from 46% to 74% since 2015.
"Ms. Ashley is a fair, caring leader who exhibits transformational leadership qualities. She seeks feedback from all stakeholders to evaluate her leadership abilities. As part of her team, I nominate Ms. Janene Ashley as a Life Changer of the Year recipient," Semmes said.
Janene Ashley in the News:
Harper Principal Nominated For Award
Janene is such a caring & compassionate lady. She always has her students & her staffs best interest at heart. She really strives to make things better in a world that seems to want to put education on the back burner. Love this lady!!!!
This is an amazing lady. She is so caring and has so much energy. She does an amazing job everyday and has been such a positive influence on so many children.
Ms. Ashley is the hardest working principal I know. I'm proud to be a part of her team.
Ms.Ashley gives 110% to her students and staff. She truly cares about each and everyone of them. I am honored to work with her.
Mrs. Ashley goes the extra mile to make sure that the boys and girls have received every opportunity possible to achieve!
Janene Ashley is a Life Changing Principal. She was an amazing teacher..she taught both of my children and I was honored to get to work under her at Harper Elementary. She taught me so much about what it takes to be an outstanding administrator. She’s caring, loving and willing to go above and beyond for her staff and students. She is the absolute best and deserves to be recognized for all her accomplishments.
Janene is a genuine, positive influence on everyone she meets- students and adults alike.
Mrs. Ashley is a wonderful principal and is very deserving of this honor.
She is an awesome principal!
I loved working for Mrs. Ashley. She is fair, considerate, and always looking for ways to better the school for kids, parents, and teachers.
I have loved Mrs. Ashley from the start. My children had her as an elementary teacher...she has always had a positive impact on my children. Always willing to help and answer any questions they might have had. My children looked forward to going to school everyday.
Now many moons later, I get to experience what my children did years ago. I'm a school bus driver who starts out at Harper school everyday. I see how she treats ALL the students with love and kindness. Always a kind word, weather if it's just a student bringing her a note from the teacher to a student who may have misbehaved. Mrs. Ashely changes lives and I get to witness it everyday!
Very deserving of this award.
I have known Janene a long time. She is capable, competent, and eternally cheerful. Just what education needs. Being an educator myself, I know how she "really is." I would put her up against anyone.
I am a colleague of Ms. Ashley. I met her 20 yrs. ago when we both were at Doyline and she was a PreK teacher. She was a caring person then and she still is. The initiatives and focus she has led at her school has brought positive relationships throughout her school and the community. She is a great lesder.
Janene Ashley is my amazing, supportive principal in our K-1 school! She loves each and every child and does all she can to encourage them to succeed! I can always look to her for support and guidance! Our principal ROCKS!!!!
Awesome principal. Blessed to work beside her.
Mrs. Ashley has been my principal for six years. She holds her teachers to very high standards, and therefore encouraging us to do the same for our students. She is in our classrooms almost everyday to make sure our students are receiving the best education possible. She is always seeking new and innovative ways to reach students and create a successful learning environment. Her door is always open for advice or suggestions. She surely deserves this award!
I am really excited about our Pre-Kindergarten school joining with Ms. Ashley and her K-1 school for next school year. She is so deserving of this award with all her positive incentives to include the community in every child’s education!! She is definitely a leader that cares about her students, families, faculty and community!
Janene is amazing on so many levels.
I have gotten to know Ms. Ashley as the Principal at my triplet’s school, and also as a member of our Community Action Team! She truly loves her job and wants to effect change for her students as well as our community! In my opinion she has gone above and beyond devoting so much of her personal time making positive changes for these kids! My kids love that she dresses up every Friday and comes around with the treat cart, they love their Pete the Cat shirts they earned for sight words, they worked so very hard to earn their sight word medals and trophies!!! She is inspiring and pushing kids to do more, and in turn kids are rising to the challenge!!! Ms. Ashley is the epitome of LifeChanger!
As a former personnel supervisor who personally has seen Mrs. Ashley in action, I know she does an outstanding job as principal. Mrs. Ashley has the needed dedication and love for her students to have an effective and successful school environment.
To see the children respond to her is amazing. She truly shows her love for education.
Awesome person and professional! She truly cares about every child and professional with whom she works.
Ms.Ashley is a very caring principal. She is fair and loving to all of her students. She greets all of her students in the morning with hugs and hellos. She has listened to all 250 of her first graders read individually. Ms. Ashley is wonderful to work with. She provides “treat trolley” every Friday for all of her staff. She exhibits excellent leadership skills.
I have known Janene since we were in school. My youngest was seen by a speech therapist while he was in preschool. Janene welcomed him just like he was one of her own students. She provides all of her students the tools to be successful in everything that they do.
Ms. ASHLEY has a heart for her children and families!
Great principal and educator!
My children have had wonderful experiences with Mrs. ASHLEY!
No one more deserving ! Great leader and person.
Ms. Ashley is very dedicated to her students and staff. Superior leadership skills.
Ms. Ashley is one of the most dedicated educators I have ever met. As principal, she fosters a love for learning in the students at her school and provides and environment of positivity for her faculty.
Ms. Ashley was the principal when my son went to Kindergarten. He has special needs and I was concerned about those needs being met. Ms. Ashley went above and beyond to make sure my son got the services he needed to succeed. She was always positive and smiling when we needed it the most. I have five children ages 21years to 11 months. I can honestly say she is the best school principal that my children have ever had. We are no longer at her school or in the same city but I hope she is chosen for this award. She is definitely changing lives...one student at a time.
I like the way Mrs. Ashley involves the entire school! One year, to improve sight word recognition, the entire staff wore the word the school was focusing on on a sticky note. The teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians were all involved. It takes a village.
Mrs. Ashley is a wonderful principal. She really cares about the students as individuals, and she takes time to get to know each and every student in the school.
This lady loves her school and her babies as she affectionately calls them. Has always been a loving and caring person ,she goes above and beyond for staff and her students . We are Harper Elementary with the greatest principal!
Mrs. Ashlwy is a wonderful Christian woman lives her job kids and people around her. Always has smile on her face and always a postive attitude.
As a school psychologist who has worked with Ms. Ashley for several years, I have seen firsthand the impact she has had on the lives of her students. She is incredibly caring and dedicated and I don’t know anyone more worthy of this honor.
I am so fortunate to work for this wonderful and caring administrator! Janene Ashley strives daily to provide her staff with a positive and supportive atmosphere, which in turn, helps to provide students the learning environment and tools necessary each day. She also provides her staff with “Teacher Treat Trolley” on Friday afternoons...which we all look forward to.??
I am so privileged to call Janene a friend and mentor. She is an amazing education leader, motivator, and supporter. She strives to do her best every day for her students and staff.
Janene Ashely is the most amazing principal!! In 15 years of teaching, I’ve never worked with a more caring, involved, supportive leader! She is in the grind with the teachers everyday. She goes above and beyond what anyonee expects of a leader, but she never feels ‘above’ the others at her school. She feels everyone is equal and works hard to exemplify that. She changes the lives of children and adults both with her attitude and expectations! No other deserves this more!!
