After nearly 40 years of serving the students of Haywood County Schools, Superintendent Dr. Anne Garrett is retiring.
Dr. Garrett was hired as superintendent in 2004, going on to lead Haywood County Schools from 40th place among North Carolina school systems to 11th out of 115 districts.
“I’ve had such a fantastic career with Haywood County Schools,” Dr. Garrett said. “From my early days as a teacher at Bethel Junior High until now, I’ve always been surrounded by the best staff, students, and community.”
Dr. Garrett said even as a young girl growing up in Maggie Valley that she loved school.
“I always wanted to be in education,” Dr. Garrett explained. “All the great teachers I had in elementary, middle, and high school inspired me to pursue teaching.”
Upon graduating from Western Carolina University with a B.S. in middle grades education, Dr. Garrett accepted a teaching position at Bethel Junior High in 1978 where she taught pre-algebra, reading, and language arts classes to 150 students each day.
A few years later, she was promoted to lead teacher and then moved to North Canton Elementary School to serve as assistant principal for two years. She became principal at Morningstar Elementary School during its final year before closure.
“When I was a lead teacher, I realized that I really liked the administrative-side of education,” Dr. Garrett said. “I felt like I could positively make a difference for our teachers.”
In 1986, Dr. Garrett made the move to Haywood County Schools’ central office as supervisor of elementary curriculum. Over the next five years at central office, she served as supervisor of math and cultural arts, elementary and cultural arts supervisor, and director of federal programs and cultural arts.
She jumped back into a principal role in 1993 at Jonathan Valley Elementary School where she stayed until 1996. The following year, she was hired as principal of Junaluska Elementary School.
Dr. Garrett returned to central office as associate superintendent in 1997. Seven years later, she was promoted to superintendent.
“I remember one of the questions the board asked Dr. Garrett during her interview for superintendent was ‘Will you be able to make the tough decisions?'” Haywood County Schools’ School Board Chairman Chuck Francis, who has worked with Dr. Garrett for 18 years, said. “After just a few days on the job, she called me and told me everything she had dealt with as a new superintendent. It was then that I knew she would do a great job for our school system.”
When Dr. Garrett began as the superintendent, she set a goal to bring Haywood County Schools up to the top 10 percent of school districts in the state.
“I remember the first obstacle I had as superintendent was to hire several positions at central office,” Dr. Garrett recalls. “It felt like such a challenge at the time, but I was able to hire great employees who helped lead our school system.”
The road to the top was not without its difficulties for Dr. Garrett and her leadership team.
Dr. Garrett points to the closing of Central Elementary School in 2016 and the $2.4 million budget deficit the school system faced last year as some of the most challenging obstacles she faced in her career as superintendent.
“Although those were both certainly trying situations, through a lot of hard work and creative budgeting, we didn’t have to let a single employee go,” Dr. Garrett explained.
That resourcefulness and level-headed thinking has led Dr. Garrett to have one of the longest careers with a single school district in the state.
“Under Dr. Garrett’s leadership, Haywood County Schools has moved the needle academically and been ranked in the top 10 percent of N.C. school systems for the past two years,” Francis said. “Her work ethic, dedication, and total commitment to the students, our employees, and the community are unmatched.”
During her tenure, she has been named the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) Superintendent of the Year, Region 8 Superintendent of the Year, Haywood County’s Person of the Year, Western Carolina University’s (WCU) Peak Performer Hall of Fame, and dozens of other accolades.
“I have worked with Dr. Garrett my entire career, and she is one of the most professional women I know,” Sherri Arrington, Junaluska Elementary School principal, said. “She has always been available to me, if I had questions or needed support. She has pushed me in my career with loyalty and honesty, and she will be greatly missed.”
When asked what her greatest career achievement has been, Dr. Garrett replied, “I feel like just being able to live, work, and be a part of the community in Haywood County has been such an honor.”
Although Dr. Garrett has no concrete plans for life after retirement, she is under contract to write three books. Two are children’s books about bullying and character building, and the third book is about her experiences in education. She has previously published 11 educational books.
“I’m most appreciative of the support I have received,” Dr. Garrett said with a smile. “We have the best teachers, administrators, community, and most importantly students. I’m really going to miss my job.”
Dr. Garrett’s last day is Wednesday, February 28.
The community is invited to celebrate Dr. Garrett’s career at a retirement celebration on Thursday, February 15 from 4:00-6:00p.m. at Tuscola High School.