Great Leader Spotlight: Jacob Drury

A Leader with Heart and High Expectations

You don't just walk into it. You have to do the extra.

That sentence might sum up Jacob Drury’s leadership philosophy, as well as his path to becoming one of Mississippi’s most respected middle school principals.

Drury didn’t set out to become a school leader. In fact, he thought he’d be coaching basketball somewhere right now.

But through a series of defining moments and a deep commitment to students, staff, and family, he now leads Neshoba Central Middle School, one of Mississippi’s top-performing middle schools.

An Accidental Administrator

Drury’s entry into administration wasn’t planned. After teaching math and briefly coaching, he was asked to fill in as acting principal for a few days while his principal was absent.

“Honestly, I thought, ‘I can get out of the classroom for a little while? Yeah, this could be a good break,'" he said.

That day, he ended up interviewing and hiring a teacher—while he was still a teacher himself.

Word got around. A few weeks later, his superintendent approached him and said, “If you'll go get your degree, you’ll have a job here in administration.”

That conversation started him in a new direction. He completed his degree, stepped into leadership, and hasn’t looked back.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Drury arrived at Neshoba Central Middle School in 2020. Under his leadership, the school’s accountability score jumped from 394 to 493—a 99-point increase. In the years that followed, the school first hit 500, then 501.

The staff at Neshoba Central celebrating their Level A rating

In 2023, Drury was named the Middle School Principal of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Secondary School Principals.

He credits his teachers with that accomplishment. “We jumped 99 accountability points in my first year,” he said. “But it’s because of our teachers. I have a great staff, and they get after it.”

His school has now maintained a Level "A" rating every year since he arrived.

What Culture Can Do

For Drury, the real story at Neshoba isn’t the accountability score. It’s the culture.

He told the story of a student who was new to the school. This student had a history of behavior issues and had to be suspended within a few days of arriving.

When that student returned, Drury was surprised to see other students policing his behavior.

“I heard the students tell him,'’Hey bro, you can't do that here.’ That means you have a pretty good culture,” Drury said. “That student figured out that the expectation here is very high.”

That culture is reinforced by teachers and students alike. One example is Drury’s use of Positive Office Referrals.

Drury talked about a student who returned a wallet full of money. “His teacher wrote him a positive office referral, and I was able to call that student’s mom. I said, ‘Mom, this is a good call, thank goodness.’”

It’s simple. Reward the good. Celebrate what matters. And make sure every student gets a chance to be recognized for the right reasons.

Data with a Dose of Common Sense

Accountability matters. But Drury insists it should be done the right way. At Neshoba, he created a formula to help teachers set realistic, student-based goals.

Each year, Drury works with classroom teachers to set yearly accountability goals based on that student cohort’s state test scores from the previous year.

If you're going to set goals for proficiency, it needs to be based on the students that you have in your classroom.

He’s also intentional about how he leads data chats. He said that if he “beats teachers up over their data,”especially in December, they will leave discouraged.

“I want them to leave my office feeling like there’s still hope…let’s get after it.”

Even the language shifted at Neshoba. He rebranded “remediation” as “acceleration”: “With remediation, students feel like they're behind. And I said, “No, we're going to accelerate them.”

Jacob Drury works one on one with students in his office at Neshoba Central.

Advice for Aspiring School Leaders

For those hoping to follow Drury’s path to leadership, his advice is simple: start now.

He encourages all aspiring leaders to be the best at whatever they are doing right now.

“For those who want a shot at admin: lead where you are. Solve problems, lift others up, and let your actions speak for themselves. Titles follow impact.”

He recalls a student teacher who came to the school before her assignment even started just to get extra experience. When a math position opened, she was the first person he thought of hiring.

Aspiring administrators should show initiative and stand out where they are. Attitude and dependability matter.

More than a Title

Jacob Drury doesn’t lead for the title or recognition. He leads because he believes in the work. 

“It's about the people here—our teachers, our students, and the culture we've created together.”

And through hard work, humble leadership, and an unwavering commitment to students, he has helped build something great at Neshoba Central.

Have any of Jacob Drury's leadership practices resonated with you? Let me know in the comments below!