Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools September 2014 | Page 7

Dr. Mary Ellis named regional superintendent of the year

Union County
Public Schools
Superintendent
Dr. Mary Ellis has
been named the
2014-15 Regional
Superintendent of the
Year by the Southwest
Regional Education
Service Alliance
(SWRESA).

Ellis is one of
eight superintendents
who will vie for the
2015 A. Craig Phillips
North Carolina
Superintendent of the
Year award. Ellis will
represent Region 6.

“I am very honored
to receive this award,”
Ellis said. “I share this
recognition with my
fellow superintendents,
colleagues, principals,
Dr. Mary Ellis has been named the 2014-15
teachers and students.”
Regional Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Mary Ellis
began her tenure as superintendent of Union County Public
Schools on July 1, 2012. Prior to being named superintendent, Dr.
Ellis was deputy superintendent from 2009 – 2012 and assistant
superintendent from 2005 – 2009.
Dr. Ellis is a native of Union County. She attended and
graduated from Piedmont High in the Union County Schools
system. Dr. Ellis began her career in education as an eighth-grade
language arts teacher at Sun Valley Middle School.
She taught middle and high school English for 18 years before
moving to an administrative role. From 1997 – 1999 she was an
assistant principal at Walter Bickett Elementary. She was also an
assistant principal at East Union Middle from 1999 – 2000. Dr. Ellis
was named principal at Parkwood Middle in 2000 and worked there

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for four years. She was also the inaugural principal at Porter
Ridge Middle, which opened in 2004.
Under Ellis’ leadership, the Union County Public Schools
graduation rate has increased to more than 90 percent, the
highest in the state for large districts.
Two schools, Shiloh Elementary and Weddington Middle
were named Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence by the U.S.
Department of Excellence in 2013. In addition, the district has
expanded its academic options and developed more than 20
career and technical education academies.
UCPS also leads the state in dual-language programs through
VIF International Education. Students are taught Spanish
and Mandarin at nine schools through the SPLASH Immersion
program.
Ellis continues to expand technology in UCPS. The district
has earned national recognition for its 1:1 instructional
technology initiative.
The project began in 2008 and has increased access to
technology and expanded digital learning for students in all
grade levels.
“I am very proud to be superintendent of Union County
Public Schools,” said Ellis. “When we all work together, we can
make tremendous strides in education.”
The winner of the state superintendent’s award will be
announced in November at the North Carolina School Boards
Association Conference.
--This article was written by Written by: Tahira Stalberte,
UCPS Chief Communications Officer and provided courtesy
of the UCPS Communications Office.

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