Carrie Knapp returns to Highland High School as principal
Previously served as assistant principal
Carrie Knapp
GRANGER – When school bells ring Aug. 23, a familiar face will return to Highland High School, but in a different capacity. Carrie Knapp, who has been assistant principal at the high school for the past four years, will take over the reins as principal.
She came to Highland after serving as an 11th-grade English and journalism teacher at Wadsworth High School from 2000 to 2013, a position she accepted after graduating from Bowling Green State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in science and education. She earned her master’s degree in education from The University of Akron in 2009, while teaching at Wadsworth.
While still in elementary school at Buckeye, from where she graduated in 1995, the Medina County native knew she wanted to teach.
“I loved school, loved the teachers and from my earliest years, my goal was to teach,” she said, noting that her fourth-grade teacher played a major role in solidifying that goal, because “she made everyone in the classroom feel important.”
What then inspired Knapp to move from the teaching arena to becoming an administrator?
“Instead of impacting only a classroom, I wanted to reach out to a much larger group,” she said.
She believes as assistant principal she has been able to do just that. For example, she created a schedule which included daily embedded professional learning and academic lab time for students; worked with the Highland Foundation on innovative programs for the students; created and monitored an online learning program for at-risk students; and set aside a time for student input on a one-to-one basis.
In addition, she coordinated the efforts of local community organizations and businesses to bring programs to the students; increased Advanced Placement enrollment by 136 percent, from 288 tests administered in 2013 to 619 tests in 2017; traveled with students who participated in the intercultural program in 2015 and 2017; and wrote and received two grants totaling $11,500 to bring speakers to the students and to parents in the evening.
Goals
Now, as principal, Knapp said her goal is “to maintain and build upon the tradition of excellence already established in the Highland Local Schools.” She said one of her main priorities is to provide students the best learning opportunities in the safest environment, which includes supplying teachers with the necessary teaching tools and resources.
Thanks to her efforts, Highland High School will introduce a Freshman First Transition Program this year, which is scheduled for Aug. 23, the first day of school, and is designed to offer individualized guidance to help incoming freshmen feel more comfortable. They will meet the high school staff, learn the location of their classrooms and the daily routine, etc.
On the first day of school, all elementary and middle school students will attend classes. At the high school, only freshmen will attend.
As for Carrie Knapp, she said, “I will continue to pursue opportunities that demonstrate the uniqueness of being a Highland student, and will also look for ways to make the Highland experience a positive, impactful one.”
Knapp and her husband, Jason, a Wadsworth High School history teacher, are the parents of four children: Tyler, 18; Meredith, 12; Amelia, 10; and Hailee, 8.
She came to Highland after serving as an 11th-grade English and journalism teacher at Wadsworth High School from 2000 to 2013, a position she accepted after graduating from Bowling Green State University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in science and education. She earned her master’s degree in education from The University of Akron in 2009, while teaching at Wadsworth.
While still in elementary school at Buckeye, from where she graduated in 1995, the Medina County native knew she wanted to teach.
“I loved school, loved the teachers and from my earliest years, my goal was to teach,” she said, noting that her fourth-grade teacher played a major role in solidifying that goal, because “she made everyone in the classroom feel important.”
What then inspired Knapp to move from the teaching arena to becoming an administrator?
“Instead of impacting only a classroom, I wanted to reach out to a much larger group,” she said.
She believes as assistant principal she has been able to do just that. For example, she created a schedule which included daily embedded professional learning and academic lab time for students; worked with the Highland Foundation on innovative programs for the students; created and monitored an online learning program for at-risk students; and set aside a time for student input on a one-to-one basis.
In addition, she coordinated the efforts of local community organizations and businesses to bring programs to the students; increased Advanced Placement enrollment by 136 percent, from 288 tests administered in 2013 to 619 tests in 2017; traveled with students who participated in the intercultural program in 2015 and 2017; and wrote and received two grants totaling $11,500 to bring speakers to the students and to parents in the evening.
Goals
Now, as principal, Knapp said her goal is “to maintain and build upon the tradition of excellence already established in the Highland Local Schools.” She said one of her main priorities is to provide students the best learning opportunities in the safest environment, which includes supplying teachers with the necessary teaching tools and resources.
Thanks to her efforts, Highland High School will introduce a Freshman First Transition Program this year, which is scheduled for Aug. 23, the first day of school, and is designed to offer individualized guidance to help incoming freshmen feel more comfortable. They will meet the high school staff, learn the location of their classrooms and the daily routine, etc.
On the first day of school, all elementary and middle school students will attend classes. At the high school, only freshmen will attend.
As for Carrie Knapp, she said, “I will continue to pursue opportunities that demonstrate the uniqueness of being a Highland student, and will also look for ways to make the Highland experience a positive, impactful one.”
Knapp and her husband, Jason, a Wadsworth High School history teacher, are the parents of four children: Tyler, 18; Meredith, 12; Amelia, 10; and Hailee, 8.