McKensey Wheeler’s goal 13 years ago when she started at West Central Elementary was to one day become the principal.
Rome City Schools is pleased to announce that the day has come, as Wheeler will take over as principal for West Central Elementary for the 2024-25 school year after being approved by the board on Tuesday night.
“Words can’t even explain how happy I am,” she says. “I’ve been here for 13 years. Honestly, becoming the principal was a goal of mine and to achieve it is amazing. The realization has set in and now I need to put the actions together for this job.”
Wheeler has held multiple roles at West Central Elementary since starting there in 2011. She began as a reading paraprofessional in 2011. She has taught both third grade and fifth grade and has served as an instructional specialist. She was named assistant principal in 2022 and has served in that role until now.
“I started back as a paraprofessional. I only did that for two months and transitioned to a classroom teacher. I taught fifth and third-grade math and science and then became an instructional specialist before I became assistant principal,” Wheeler says. “The fact that I’ve worked at every level every step along the way is going to help me with buy-in and gives me a lot of understanding in the transition to the principal job.”
Wheeler says she can’t wait to continue working on bringing the community and the school together.
“I’m really dedicated to the community and want to bridge the gap between the school and the community,” she says. “I want to get more stakeholders involved. We want everyone at the school to feel like they are part of the community, and the community is part of the school.”
Wheeler has a deep educational background earning a BS of Science in Early Childhood Education at Tuskegee University. She earned her Master of Education in Early Childhood from the University of West Georgia. She earned an Education Specialist for Curriculum and Instruction from Piedmont College and earned her Leadership Tier 1 Certification from the University of West Georgia.
She is a member of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators as well as a member of the Delta Kappa Pi and Alpha Kappa Mu national honor societies. She has served as a performing arts coordinator for Rome City School, serving as the chair for Black History Month.
When talking about West Central, one of the words that Wheeler says more than once is family.
“This building and this school radiate family. We have each other's back every step of the way. You can feel that family atmosphere once you walk into the building.” she says. “I’m super excited to be a part of Rome City, and I hope I can truly make an impact and help the students achieve their full potential.”