DR. TRACEY HARRILL, PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Tracey Harrill, Ed.D., has been with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for 32 years. Most of that time has been spent as a principal, and she’s been recognized for her achievements. This year is no exception, as she was named the 2024-25 Principal of the Year finalist for High School Performance Area B. It’s an honor that she said never gets old.

“It’s been special each time I’ve been a finalist, because to get to this level, you are nominated and voted on by your colleagues,” Dr. Harrill said. “I don’t necessarily see them every day, but I talk to my colleagues on the phone. We try to problem solve and figure out how to fix the latest issue that’s coming our way together. So it’s an honor for them to see that I can contribute and to recognize me in that way.”

Dr. Harrill is in her 16th year at Providence High School, which each year has met or exceeded local, state and national goals. For the last two years, Providence was ranked the highest performing comprehensive high school in North Carolina for growth.

“We’re very proud of that, but it’s something we work on every year,” Dr. Harrill said. “We don’t take for granted our success in reaching our students, because every group of students is different and special and has their own individual needs, especially with their academics.”

A native of Monroe, Dr. Harrill graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and taught at Independence High School for three years. After a year as assistant principal at Northeast Middle School, she became the school’s principal, then went on to open Mint Hill Middle School. She also served as executive director of professional development, was an adjunct professor at Winthrop University and was principal at Jay M. Robinson Middle School before finding her home at Providence. 

“I love teaching; I especially love principaling,” Dr. Harrill said. “I’ve had a good, long time here, but I’m not looking to retire anytime soon because I still get joy out of coming to work. Hopefully, I am able to give joy to my students, my parents and my teachers by what I can contribute at school.”

Her staff and students make Providence a special place for Dr. Harrill. She said staff members take their work seriously but have also created a culture where everyone loves coming to work and having fun. And her students, she said, “are wonderful.”

“Of course, they’re teenagers, and they will try to test the waters and do what teenagers do to see where the line is,” Dr. Harrill said. “But with very high expectations for student behavior, student work and collaboration, they rise to the challenge every year. We are just very clear with what the expectations are. We explain it, we teach it, we model it, we show it, and we are never surprised that the students will rise to our level of expectation.”

Mark McHugh, director of safety at CMS, has worked with Dr. Harrill as a dean of students, as an administrator and an assistant principal. He said she is an established presence in the Providence community, and that families know she has high expectations that include them and their kids, as well as the staff and everyone involved in the school.

“When I was a principal, she was obviously someone I relied on and talked with frequently,” McHugh said. “What I respect about her is she’s very clear and consistent in what she expects and consistent in what she says – she walks the walk. You know that you’re going to be supported by her if you’re following through with the things that she’s asked for.”

Dr. Harrill said that along the way, they have had to make shifts in how teachers teach and how she principals, particularly following the COVID pandemic. Every year, students bring more challenges to school, she said, and they have to figure out the best way to reach them. While the work may seem to get harder, it doesn’t affect her love for her job, and she said the time has gone by so fast.

“With every job, there are some days that you feel like I’m turning my keys in – in the morning,” she said. “However, morning rolls around and my feet hit the floor, and I’m ready to go try again — I feel very blessed to have been able to be an educator.”