Mrs. Joretha Lockhart, Principal at Lakeland Elementary School, was honored today (5.11.21) with a surprise drive by parade celebration. The event was recognition of her being selected as the West Tennessee Principal of the Year in 2020. Due to Covid-19 regulations last year, celebrations of any sort were delayed.
The rains held off as a caravan of cars came back through car line after dismissal – honking horns, cheering, and waving posters, pom-poms, and stuffed lions out of the windows, while Lockhart, her family, and the faculty of LES gathered around to wave. Lorna Miller, kindergarten teacher at LES, along with a group of ladies known as The Lead Team, worked to organize the secret event.
In August 2020, Mrs. Lockhart was named the Shelby/Municipal Principal of the Year AND was one of only nine finalists for Tennessee Principal of the Year. In October, it was announced that she had been named the West Tennessee Grand Division Principal of the Year by the Tennessee Department of Education. While she was not the statewide winner, she was a top three finalist, which in itself is a huge honor.
Mrs. Lockhart has been at LES since it opened in 2001 under the Shelby County School System and was the first Assistant Principal at LES. She became Principal in 2014, the first school year operating as the Lakeland School System.
Mrs. Mary Stevens, 1st grade teacher who has been at LES with Mrs. Lockhart since the doors opened in 2001, said, “Mrs. Lockhart is the best of the best. She is so deserving of this honor and we are so glad that the entire state of Tennessee now knows how great she is! It’s been a privilege to work for her for the past 20 years.”
