Great Leader Spotlight: Anita Wansley
- Jeremy Gibbs
- Mar 24
- 4 min read
Climbing Higher
"We didn’t rise—bread rises. We climbed."
That’s how Anita Wansley, principal of Northeast Elementary in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, and current Mississippi Administrator of the Year, describes the journey her school has taken.
"The Climb" is also the metaphor that defines her leadership.
For the past five years, Wansley has led Northeast Elementary—one of the district’s most diverse and dynamic campuses—to a hard-earned Level "A" rating.
When she became the principal, she brought not just instructional knowledge but also a deep well of community experience and compassion.
Wansley’s path into school leadership didn’t follow the standard route of directly progressing from teaching into school administration.
She began as a special education teacher in 1995, then spent years outside the classroom directing tutoring programs and leading ministry work in Meridian.
That time away from traditional education—serving families, organizing food distributions, and leading volunteers—shaped her understanding of people and leadership in profound ways.
"I think it helps me understand parents, community, business...all of that impacts my leadership style," she says.
"We can only impact our students while they’re here. I can’t change what they go home to. But I can love whoever walks through our door."
Administrator of the Year
In 2024, Wansley was named Mississippi’s Administrator of the Year.
But the real power of that honor, she says, wasn’t in the title—it was in the process. "It really caused me to reflect. Who am I? What am I doing? And why?"
That deep reflection clarified her core philosophy: educational leadership is about leading people, not just managing programs.
"Anyone can learn about the accountability model. We can learn how to do budgets. We can learn how to do curriculum. But in my view, we are leading people."
She brings this to life daily at Northeast, where she has promoted a culture of growth, resilience, and connection.
Whether it’s her annual school-wide theme (this year’s is "Keep Climbing") or the way she builds leadership capacity among her staff, Wansley is always focused on people development.
"Leadership is less about programs and more about people."
A Culture That Celebrates Growth
If you look around Northeast Elementary, you’ll see more than just strong academics—you’ll find students and teachers who are actually excited about making progress.
One of Wansley’s core values is celebration.
"We do a lot of celebrations. We celebrate all kinds of milestones, small steps--just people showing up."
One standout initiative is the "Green Room." After each i-Ready diagnostic, students who score in the green are invited to this themed celebration space—complete with green decorations, activities, and plenty of fun.
Wansley dresses in green, builds anticipation by hyping it up in announcements and morning messages, and makes achievement visible through public recognition and fun activities.
She notes the change in Northeast's culture over the past several years.
"In the past, we started to make excuses. I heard, 'Because of all of our challenges, [our students can] grow, but they just can’t get to proficiency.' And I said, 'No longer. Yes, they can.'"
Smaller celebrations abound, too. In first grade, students ring a bell in the hallway when they level up in Lexia.
In third grade, a parent-donated jumbo bell echoes across the campus when students achieve goals.
Thanks to a grant by the school librarian, students who level up twice earn a token to select a free book from the school’s book vending machine.
These incentives are more than fun—they’re strategic.
Wansley understands the power of goal-setting, visible achievement, and having fun while learning.
It’s all rooted in her school’s three core values: learning, celebration, and collaboration.
A Climb-Focused Mindset
Wansley’s approach isn’t just about feel-good culture—it’s grounded in strong instructional practice.
She is unrelenting in her focus on growth for every student and adult, and she has built structures to support that climb.
One of her biggest changes this year is the creation of two new leadership roles that combine instructional coaching and intervention work.
With two veteran staff members retiring, Wansley saw an opportunity—not just to replace, but to reimagine. "It’s about building leadership capacity. Watching people grow—that’s the good stuff."
This ties into another of Wansley’s strengths: distributed leadership.
Through action teams and team leaders, she empowers staff at all levels to think, lead, and improve. Her leadership isn’t about controlling everything.
She says,"We solve problems better when we do it together."
Leadership Lessons
When asked what she wishes she had known earlier in her leadership journey, Wansley doesn’t hesitate.
"Even when you're trying to do the most good for people, you will still be misunderstood."
Wansley cites Kirby Smart’s message about leadership’s cost and notes the tension leaders carry: seeing the big picture while most of the team is focused on the moment.
She says, "A leader has to see the big picture and the long view... most people are [stuck] in the here and now and only see what's in front of them."
Wansley also emphasizes the value of networks and professional communities.
She is a proponent of MPE, MASA, MASSP, and MAESA, all great professional organizations for Mississippi educators.
She stresses the importance of being able to get solid advice from colleagues at other schools: "Have your person to call, talk things over with, and get ideas from."
A School That’s Still Climbing
With her assistant principal transitioning to the middle school and two long-serving staff members retiring, Wansley sees the coming year as a time of rebuilding. But she feels energized, not discouraged.
"I haven’t settled on next year’s theme yet," she says. "But I’m excited. We’re adjusting how we support instruction and growing new leaders. That’s worth celebrating."
Her steady, people-centered leadership has made Northeast Elementary a place where staff and students believe they can do hard things.
It's a place where celebrations are intentional, growth is expected, and all people—no matter where they start—are invited to climb.
Have any of Anita Wansley's leadership practices resonated with you? Let me know in the comments below!
Comments