DR. SHANNON CLEMONS, TURNING POINT ACADEMY

Shannon Clemons, Ed.D., grew up in a small town called Maiden in Catawba County in North Carolina. She says people refer to it as the “biggest little football town in the world” because of the town’s support of its football team. 

Dr. Clemons knew from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher. On Sunday afternoons, kids would take turns playing school, rotating the roles of teacher and student. Family also plays a huge role in Dr. Clemons’ life. Her grandfather — who didn’t have more than a sixth grade education — was a huge advocate for education.

“He used to tell us, ‘get all the education you can get, because that’s something nobody can take from you,’” she said.

After graduating from North Carolina State University, Dr. Clemons’ first teaching position was at an alternative school where she learned the importance of building relationships with her students. She recalled an elective sewing class she taught — a skill she had to learn to do herself — and remembered how fun it was watching students learn to cross stitch.

After eight years in alternative education, Dr. Clemons moved to a traditional school as a counselor before returning to alternative education as a principal. She joined Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools two years ago as the principal at Turning Point Academy.

“She believes that all kids have the right to learn and that education is important,” said Vincent Armstrong, assistant principal at Turning Point Academy. “Education allows students the opportunity to make better choices, and she does a good job making sure that staff, students and parents are focused on the goal at hand.”

What Dr. Clemons loves most about alternative education is being able to educate the whole child — helping students with their academics, behavior management and social and emotional learning. 

During her first few weeks when she arrived at Turning Point, she met with staff and asked what they wanted for the school and the students. Those conversations helped create structures needed for the school. She encourages staff to look through the lens of what environment they would want their children to learn in and what kind of teaching they would want their children to receive.

“Turning Point had some challenges,” said Dr. Clemons. “There were negatives about the school people had in mind, so coming in, I couldn’t focus on that. I had to focus on what we were going to do to create an environment where students could thrive.”

Dr. Clemons leans on the partnerships the school has with the community to bring opportunities to their students they might not have otherwise. Last year, they hosted a career carnival for students to meet with several vendors.

“I always give credit to our teachers and staff, they do hard work every day,” she added. “They’re always open to try something and see if it works for our students.”

And that same kids-first attitude is what James Sims, retired Caldwell County principal, noticed in Dr. Clemons when he encouraged her to go into administration.

“She would do anything she possibly could for the children,” said Sims. “She never jumped to conclusions, and the students and their best interests always came first to her.”

Dr. Clemons was recognized as the district’s High School Performance Area C Principal of the Year finalist. She’s thankful for her school and the people she gets to work with each day. 

“I love Turning Point Academy,” she said. “There’s great work that happens on this campus every day. We always have to be vigilant and know what’s happening, but it’s so rewarding when you see students grow, and not just academically. We’re seeing them mature into young adults who are ready to go back to their home school and be successful, and that’s what we want. That’s what we’re looking for.”