Mary Leslie Anderson, principal of the magnet school League Academy, won the award from the S.C. Association of School Administrators, the professional organization for school leaders in the state.

This is Anderson’s ninth year as principal and twenty-second year in the school district.

Before she was principal at League Academy, the Greenville native was an assistant principal, an instructional coach, and an eighth and ninth grade English teacher in Greenville County.

Anderson said one of the most important parts of being a school administrator is to offer “love and support” to teachers. It’s something she’s worked at since she became principal at League Academy.

“Building a trusting place to work and building a trusting environment is huge for us in order to really affect our students,” Anderson said. “This (award) is quite an affirmation to the work that all middle level principals and administrators do that is not often rewarded.”

Each year, the school administrators association presents the awards to one South Carolina principal from each school level: elementary, middle and high school. A panel of judges makes the selection from a group of candidates.

“The person who wins this award is an outstanding, top-of-the-line principal who is innovative and has moved their school forward, SCASA executive director Beth Phibbs said in a statement. “This year, that person is League Academy principal Mary Leslie Anderson.”

“This is a tremendous honor and recognizes Mrs. Anderson’s outstanding leadership, her unwavering commitment to helping all students achieve their full potential, and her dedication to supporting League Academy’s staff so they are prepared to teach and inspire their students each day,” Dr. Burke Royster, superintendent of Greenville County Schools, said in a statement.

Source: The Post and Courier Greenville