It is Principal Appreciation Day and we take this opportunity to recognize the work of our district’s principals—Art Stafford, high school; Travis Johnson, middle school; Tracy Carlson, intermediate school; Taryn Trotter, elementary school, and Amanda Davidson, early childhood center. And, assistant principals Corey Mikula, high school and Rodney Monbrum, middle school.
“Our district is lucky to have a team of leaders that puts the needs of our students and staff first. They care for the students like they are their own,” Unit 1 Superintendent Christopher Spencer said.
Principal Appreciation Day provides learning communities an opportunity to publicly recognize the work, commitment and importance of principals and assistant principals throughout the district and state of Illinois.
Principal Appreciation Week [Oct. 15-21] and Appreciation Day were first approved by the Illinois Governor’s Office in 1990 and have since been celebrated annually to acknowledge the leadership of building administrators.
“The school principal has one of the most demanding, challenging, and rewarding jobs in existence—shaping and guiding one of the very cornerstones of the community. And as we celebrate Principal Appreciation Week, let me be the first to say to my colleagues. Thank you for leading forward each and every day,” said Dr. Paul Kelly, Illinois Principals Association president and Elk Grove High School principal.
Stafford is in his first year as high school principal. He was previously an administrator in Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 where he was assigned as assistant principal of students services at Plainfield North High School.
Johnson is in his final year with the school district as he is set to retire at the close of the academic year. He came to the district 17 years ago to serve as the elementary school principal and he is now in his 10th year as principal of Coal City Middle School.
Carlson, is one of four Coaler alumni serving as a building level administrator. She has served as intermediate school principal since 2011.
Trotter, also an alumnus of the Coal City School District,was hired in 2018 to serve as assistant principal at the middle school and in 2021 she was named principal of the elementary school.
Davidson has been part of the district for 15 years and is in her sixth year as principal at the early childhood center.
Mikula and Monbrum are also Coaler alums and have served in assistant principal positions at the high school and middle school since 2021.