LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dr. Jessica Anthony was nominated by her colleague, Tracey Harris.

Dr. Anthony came to Davenport A+ Elementary School three years ago. Morale among staff was low, and many teachers were considering moves or early retirement. But then, a wonderful thing happened. A new administrator with a lot of energy and even more positivity was appointed. 

Dr. Anthony came from a high school background, so she had a tremendous learning curve ahead of her. She is the principal of the only specialized school in the district, a school of the arts. Additionally, Davenport has the district's highest population of Hispanic students and English Language Learners. It's a unique school, and she was determined to improve staff morale while learning all she could about the elementary curriculum and creating a school culture that would support the unique population of families within her school.

In her first year, she helped implement a Social-Emotional Learning curriculum to assist students in regulating their emotions. This program is continuing to grow and develop. Although she confesses to not being very artistic, she wholeheartedly embraced the A+ arts initiative, believing that the arts are fundamental to teaching and learning. She supports the integration of arts into core subjects, and you will often find her participating in arts activities alongside the students.

She also implemented a school Leadership Program for rising fifth-grade students. Students go through an application process to secure a place on the Leadership Team. The team meets monthly with community leaders to learn what being a leader entails and to ask questions about different aspects of being a leader in business, education, politics, in their families, schools, peer groups, and other community areas. They also participate in activities that help build leadership skills and allow them to evaluate themselves and their own personal qualities that make, or will make, them great leaders.

Dr. Anthony also revived a floundering Positive Behavior Support System, allowing students to focus on the positive aspects of their behavior instead of the negative.

"In meeting the needs of our student population, Dr. Anthony always looks through the lens of our Hispanic families to help determine how we can involve these families in all aspects of their child's education. She has also partnered with the school psychologist to streamline the Multi-tiered System of Support that we offer students who struggle academically. This process is vital to the success of our students and requires much data analysis, teamwork, and organization, all of which seem to come so naturally for Dr. Anthony," said Harris.

When Dr. Anthony was appointed principal at Davenport A+ Elementary School, there was much work to be done to raise staff morale. It's never an easy task, but amid COVID, it was made even more difficult. Teachers did not feel supported, and families felt disconnected. Dr. Anthony worked with teachers and staff to create opportunities for families to get involved as much as possible. Last year, the fifth-grade class performed Aladdin, Jr after a two-year hiatus. It is not uncommon to see Dr. Anthony dressed up as a dinosaur or a unicorn visiting classrooms during special units of study or on days when teachers need a special guest. Dr. Anthony plans and executes many special events and activities to let staff know how much they are appreciated. She even writes every staff member a personal card at the beginning of every year. Dr. Anthony knows every student by name and most parents as well. She is full of laughter and life and spreads that joy to everyone she encounters daily. Her passion is obvious and shines through.

"She has changed the lives of so many here, including staff and students. She is truly a LifeChanger," said Harris.