Springmore’s Gloria Sherman named 2010 CCS Principal of Year

Gloria Sherman of Springmore Elementary School has been selected as the 2010 Principal of the Year for Cleveland County Schools.

In her second year as Springmore’s principal, Mrs. Sherman said she is honored to have been nominated by her colleagues and selected for this recognition.

“It is wonderful to get to work with such a caring and dedicated group of principals who strive to do what is best for our children each day,’’ she said. “ I feel very lucky to have the support of Dr. Boyles and our central office administration along with a top-notch staff, supportive parents, and wonderful students who help me to do my job each day.”

Principals within the district nominated candidates for principal of the year, and a committee of parents and community representatives selected Mrs. Sherman. Other finalists nominated by their colleagues were Pam Merritt of James Love Elementary and Sandy McNeely of Union Elementary.

Mrs. Sherman said she looks forward to representing Cleveland County Schools in Southwest regional competition. A 2010 NC Principal of the Year will be named from eight regional winners next spring.

A graduate of Gardner-Webb University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Mrs. Sherman has worked for 29 years as a teacher and administrator. She taught various grades from kindergarten through seventh for more than 20 years working at schools in Mecklenburg, Rutherford and Cleveland counties. Locally, she taught at Dover, Graham and Jefferson elementary schools and was named as teacher of the year at both Graham and Jefferson. She earned her National Board certification in 2002. She served as assistant principal at Jefferson for a year before becoming principal in 2004.

Under her leadership, Jefferson received two prestigious awards – the No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education and the Real D.E.A.L. Award from the Governor’s Office – and was named as an Honor School of Excellence and among the top 10 performing schools in the state’s accountability program. She also was named as national runner-up for Time-Warner Cable’s 2007 Champion Principal Award for her encouragement and support of technology to maximize teaching and learning at her school.

Mrs. Sherman is a member of Gardner-Webb University’s Educational Steering Committee and the Principal Curriculum Advisory Council of Cleveland County Schools as well as the CCS Close the Gap Planning Committee.  She and her husband, Steve, have two sons, Kevin and Daniel.