Principals In Action

Becoming a School That Makes the Community Proud
Principal Name: Christine Baker
School: West Pensacola Elementary School, Pensacola, FL
Number of Students: 589
Numbers of Teachers, Administrators, and Staff: 97
Length of Time as Principal: 2 Years
Length of Time in The School Turnaround Program: 2 Years
Christine Baker came aboard as principal of West Pensacola Elementary for the 2017- 2018. Although the school made significant improvements during that year, the overall school grade dropped to a D and they were in dire need of support to keep the school going. “We had challenges with getting good teachers and resources, we had a high teacher turnover rate, and we became a cluster school for students with autism. This was a huge task to take on as a first-time principal,” Christine shared.
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Becoming a Cheerleader for Change with Good Data
Principal Name: Rhonda Shufford
School: Ensley Elementary School, Pensacola, FL
Number of Students: 425
Numbers of Teachers, Administrators, and Staff: 62
Length of Time as Principal: 2 Years
Length of Time in The School Turnaround Program: 2 Years
When Rhonda Shufford began the School Turnaround Program at Ensley Elementary School in Pensacola, Florida in 2018, her biggest challenge was maintaining good teachers. “We had a high teacher turnover rate from the mid-year break until the end of the school year,” she said. “It was incredibly difficult to keep experienced teachers on our staff.” As the new principal at Ensley, Rhonda was eager to get the right resources in place to support her school of 425 students and 62 teachers, staff and administrators.