Dr. Kara Ammerman has served JCPS since 2008 as a teacher, resource teacher, assistant principal, student relations specialist, and principal. She has a wealth of knowledge as she has served in a variety of schools in JCPS including: Doss High School, Waggener High School, Meyers Middle School, Crosby Middle School, and Shelby Traditional Elementary, and leading the first summer Backpack League program, as well as opening a brand new middle school at Echo Trail where she is currently the principal. Dr. Ammerman is now stretching her skill set as an adjunct professor for the UofL/JCPS cohort to grow the next wave of leaders. Many do not realize that she started in the classroom as a PE and Health teacher and was determined to demonstrate what true collaboration with core content teachers would do to increase engagement with students. Ammerman’s expertise is in building a strong sense of belonging, behavior, and academic systems. Her sense of belonging focus created results with student perceptions increasing since she started in 2019, where students understand the expectations, and feel valued in their learning environment. Dr. Ammerman is not afraid to think outside the box to create the environment needed for students to succeed. She prides herself in collaborating with teachers to eliminate barriers in order to provide rigorous and meaningful instruction to students. Kara has an undeniable passion for education and what her students can accomplish when they are an influential partner in establishing the school culture and have a variety of opportunities to explore their interests.