Just in time a new school year, Adair County Middle School welcomes a new assistant principal, Ellen Holley.
Holley has served as a special education teacher at Caverna Independent School District for the past 15 years, where she worked with elementary, middle school and high school students.
She earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s of special education from Western Kentucky University and then a second master’s degree in school leadership and a supervisor of instruction certificate from the University of the Cumberlands.
When asked why she chose to apply for the position, Holley explained that ACMS is a very impressive school.
“This school has got some great stuff going on in it,” said Holley. “Adair County Middle School is rocking their accountability. To be able to have this opportunity here, I feel honored and blessed that ACMS saw something in me that they feel like I could be an asset to their school.”
In addition, she said it provided a new atmosphere for her to change, learn, grow and gain new experiences.
That is exactly what she got, because Holley said that ACMS has nearly as many students in its building as there are as many students in the entire Caverna school district.
Going forward, she thinks her previous experience with having so many roles in a small district can be used to the advantage of ACMS.
“Coming from a small district, we wear a lot of hats because all the same jobs have to be done, there’s just fewer people to do them,” said Holley. “I have a lot of experience doing a lot of different jobs that I feel like is a great match for the issues that schools are facing right now.”
She is looking forward to her fresh start with a school that is also getting into new territory.
“This year in particular, there are so many unknowns, and this is an unprecedented year to begin with,” said Holley. “What better chance to come in and have a new start?”
In her time away from school, Holley lives in Metcalfe County and loves travelling, drinking coffee, going camping and helping on her family’s beef cattle operation.
