12-03-2025
‘Head of Class' program expanding to middle schools
For the first time, the Lee County Education Foundation will soon announce a Head of Class winner for a middle school.
Back in 2010, when the Foundation launched its 'Head of Class' program, the focus was squarely on elementary schools.
That Head of Class award, a unique teacher incentive which included a $50,000 cash prize for the winning school, has been awarded 11 times, most recently on Jan. 29 to J. Glenn Edwards Elementary.
All the while, though, the Foundation had its eye on growing the program to include middle schools.
'We know that Head of Class has made a difference; principals at our middle schools have repeatedly told us that. And we've also always had a desire to find a way to expand it in our middle schools, to have two Head of Class prizes,' said Dennis Wicker, who led the formation of the Foundation in 2003.
That opportunity has come. LCEF, in partnership with the McSwain Worthy Lands Trust, has earmarked up to $50,000 to begin annually bestowing 'Head of Class' honors to one of Lee County's three middle schools — West Lee, East Lee or SanLee.
The inaugural Ernest and Ruby McSwain Middle School Head of Class prize will be announced in the coming weeks, said Susan Keller, foundation chair.
LCEF and Lee County Schools utilize EVAAS — the state's Education Value-Added Assessment System software tool — which provides school systems with an array of student performance measurements.
Those include growth and proficiency data, which have been used to determine the elementary school Head of Class winner each year.
At the middle school level, Keller said, the exact amount of the Head of Class gift will be determined by the number of staff at the winning school. Enrollment at West Lee (525) and East Lee (530) is well under that at SanLee, which has 836 students.
In addition to EVAAS data, other factors including teacher attendance will help rank the middle schools.
Wendy Wicker Phillips, the Foundation's executive director, described the expansion of the Head of Class program.
'We recognize middle school offers its own unique set of challenges and we are excited to honor the dedication and achievements of students, teachers and staff,' said Phillips, who was recently named to the position.
There's no Head of Class program for Lee County's two high schools, but at that level, LCEF has two programs: first, Sloan Scholars, which provides up to $9,000 per year in college tuition grants to a Lee County student pursuing a teaching degree at a North Carolina college or university.
And second, the soon-to-launch LocalLee Teacher Academy, which will expose interested high school students to curriculum and experiences geared toward a career in education.
LCS Superintendent Chris Dossenbach said the expansion of Head of Class serves as another way to honor excellence.
