Straughn Middle School Principal Cassandra Scott said it is an honor for her to serve president of the Alabama Association of Middle School Principals.

As president, Scott will represent the AAMSP affiliate’s members on the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS).

CLAS was founded in 1969 by a small group of school leaders to provide targeted professional development and support for Alabama’s public school administrators. CLAS now serves 10 affiliates representing each type of public school/school system leader. CLAS provides the framework to connect dedicated school administrators and other successful leaders with a network for professional growth and support.

“We are excited to welcome Cassandra Scott to the CLAS Board of Directors,” Executive Director Vic Wilson said. “Her leadership qualities are evident as she was selected to serve as president of the AAMSP affiliate. Servant leadership is vital to the success of our association and we sincerely appreciate Cassandra’s willingness to serve Alabama’s premiere leadership organization as a representative of the AAMSP on this board.”

Scott has been a part of CLAS since she was promoted to principal of SMS in 2007.

“I started going to meetings and realized that this organization was very important,” Scott said. “After a while, I was appointed as our district’s president for four years. I am glad I joined because it has given me the opportunity to network and see what other school professionals are doing in their school systems.”

Scott said that her goals while she is in this position will be to help plan the CLAS summer convention and to get the word out and increase membership.

“A lot of my work will be planning conferences,” Scott said. “And increasing membership. I want to make sure that middle school principals know that they have a voice and that this is a great opportunity to meet other professionals in their field.”

Scott said that middle school principals should join AAMSP for the learning benefits that come along with it.

“If you are not a member of the AAMSP, I hope you will consider joining this group of professional educational leaders and share in the networking opportunities created through this organization,” Scott said. “The professional learning that goes along with the group is top tier. The group of professionals that put the workshops together work hard to know what the administrators want to learn.”

Scott said that she does not know exactly what all her new title comes with, but she does know that when they meet in September for the first time that they will work hard.

“We will meet for the first time in September,” Scott said. “We will probably talk about all of the legislative updates that the state superintendent passes along to us. We will work as a voice for all of the public schools in the state.”

Scott grew up in Covington County and graduated from Opp High School in 1984.

She taught briefly at Pleasant Home Schools, and then made her way to Straughn Elementary School where she taught until she was promoted to principal after Covington County School’s Superintendent Shannon Driver moved to the central office.