Representatives from Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP) came calling at Northbrook MS on Feb. 15 with a surprise for the school’s principal. In an event attended by a small group of district leaders and family members in person and the school’s faculty and staff via Zoom, Dr. Keith Thompson was named 2021 Georgia Middle School Principal of the Year! The honor is the culmination of a process that began with a statewide search for school leaders who demonstrate personal excellence as well as leader effectiveness in several areas across two broad themes:
School Culture—Well-being, safety, equity, student-centered
Learning—Result-oriented, collaborative leadership, innovation
In addressing attendees, Dr. Thompson turned to the screen and announced to his staff members that this award was theirs, not his. He laughed, saying that he does not like surprises, and said, “You guys got me good on this one.” He went on to thank his staff, his family, and other leaders for believing in him. He said, “What I do is for the kids. My mantra is that we want to be high-achieving and nurturing. You can’t get that high-achieving part without the nurturing part.”
Colleagues shared their thoughts about the award-winning principal.
“From the very first day, Dr. Thompson has built a culture of excellence in which teachers and staff are obsessive about instructional time, relentless about student learning, respectful of each other, and passionate about each child,” said Dr. Brooks Baggett, an assistant principal at the school. “Northbrook is a great place to work and a great place to learn and Dr. Thompson is a true servant leader.”
A cluster colleague—Peachtree Ridge HS Principal Jadd Jarusinski—said, “One of his strengths is that Dr. Thompson knows his people and he cares for them and that is evident by the great success found here at Northbrook.”
Maryanne Grimes, who hired Dr. Thompson in his first job in Gwinnett, added, “He sees and hears people. That is his super power… Dr. Thompson is the kind of leader who makes everyone around him better.”
Now in his 24th year as an educator, Dr. Thompson first joined Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2009 as an assistant principal at GIVE Center West. He became an assistant principal at Osborne MS in 2011. In February of 2014, the Gwinnett County Board of Education named Dr. Thompson as the first principal of Northbrook MS.
Dr. Thompson earned his bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education from Augusta State University, going on to earn a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Cambridge College and a specialist’s degree in Educational Leadership and a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction, both from Argosy University. He is a 2011 graduate of the school district’s Quality-Plus Leader Academy Aspiring Principal Program.
A number of GCPS school leaders have been honored by GASSP in recent years. Kerensa Wing, Collins Hill HS principal, is the 2020 National Principal of the Year and the 2019 state winner. The 2017 Georgia Principal of the Year, Dr. Tommy Welch (then Meadowcreek HS principal), was a finalist at the national level. Maryanne Grimes, the former principal of Central Gwinnett HS and GIVE Center West, was honored as 2015 Georgia Principal of the Year.