Smith named 2011 Principal of the Year

Every month, Principal Todd Smith and other administrators at Cox Mill High School invite four students to have lunch with them. They ask about the students’ classes and any concerns they have within the school, and sometimes, changes are made as a result.

This is one of the reasons students and colleagues believe Smith is unique and deserving of being named the 2011 Wachovia Principal of the Year for Cabarrus County Schools.

As he reflected on his award recently, Smith said he was honored to be nominated and to be selected among the other deserving principals.

But he said he was not the only person behind the school’s success.

“I see it as an award for Cox Mill High School,” Smith said.

Specifically, he said the award represented the hard work the students and staff did over the last year and a half that the school has been open.

“One of the things we are most proud of is to have school spirit and a family atmosphere,” Smith said. “The staff and students have done a terrific job of building that.”

He added that the students have met behavior expectations, and the school has achieved academic success. Cox Mill High was recently named an Honor School of Excellence for proficiency in its first year of operation.

And while Smith attributes successes to the staff, students and parents, others said he is deserving of being named Principal of the Year.

“He’s a better principal than he would ever say he is,” said Adam Auerbach, assistant principal at Cox Mill High. “He’s the most unassuming and quiet (person), but he is really good at what he does.”

Auerbach described Smith as collaborative, genuine and someone who truly cares about the students and teachers.

“There’s no ego,” Auerbach said. “It’s never about what Todd wants.”

Instead, Auerbach said that Smith likes to have input from students, teachers and administrators and will make changes, even if they disagree with his own ideas.

Last year, the school’s administration considered getting rid of the warning bell between classes, and the students were upset about it, said Becca Phillips, senior class president.

Smith then asked Phillips and other students about the issue and found out that they wanted to keep the warning bell, so it stayed.

“It made me feel like we had a say in what goes on here,” Phillips said. “You can tell he really cares about the students here and the school itself.”

Julia Erdie, assistant principal of instruction, has also found that under Smith’s leadership.

“He is an inclusive leader,” Erdie said. “That is what makes him a great principal.”

Last year, Erdie and others came to Smith about including all students, instead of just freshmen, for the school’s open house before the academic year began.

“He was more than willing to listen to the plan and included everybody in the open house,” Erdie said. “We had a big turnout, and people appreciated it.”

Smith said he has always been a big believer in collaboration, especially when he and others prepared for the opening of Cox Mill.

During that time, the students helped select their future school’s mascot and crest, and there were informational meetings for parents. Smith said it was important for all of the stakeholders to be a part of opening the school.

Student body president and senior Nick Cannon was one of the individuals involved in that process.

“He was so excited about the new school and getting things started,” Cannon said. “It was cool he wanted us to be involved and make decisions.”

Smith said he knew what an honor and privilege he had when he was offered the position of being principal at Cox Mill High and opening a new school.

“I wanted to treat it with respect,” Smith said.

Before he was selected for the position, Smith served as principal at Jay M. Robinson High School. Prior to that, he served as assistant principal and later as assistant principal of instruction and special needs administrator at Central Cabarrus High School.

Ever since seventh grade, Smith knew that he wanted to be a social studies teacher, after having a dynamic teacher that year, but he said he did not consider being a principal until he was teaching.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in 1992, Smith began his career at West Charlotte High School as a social studies teacher and coach.

He said he had thought about being an administrator but did not act on it until his principal recommended him for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Principal Fellows program.

“I loved teaching, but I also knew I wanted to have this opportunity,” Smith said. “I didn’t leave teaching. It’s just a new opportunity presented itself.”

He graduated from the program and received his master’s degree in school administration from UNC Charlotte before coming to Cabarrus County Schools in 1999.

“I came to Cabarrus County and loved it ever since,” Smith said.

While he said he does not have a favorite memory or employer, Smith said the most enjoyable times in his career have been seeing entire schools come together for events like Homecoming and graduation.

As he prepares for moving on to the regional level of the Wachovia Principal of the Year, Smith said his plan for his interview is to talk about what a great place the school is.

Jackie Moffitt, art and leadership teacher and member of the school improvement team, agreed. She attributed Smith for a lot of the school’s success.

“I truly feel like this is the best school in the county, and that has a lot to do with Todd,” Moffitt said.

• Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152