Orange High School Principal Jason Johnson selected as Regional Principal of the Year

Orange High School Principal Jason Johnson ends each morning announcement at Orange High School with the same line. 

“Faculty, students and staff, I love each and every one of you,” he says. “I hope you have a great Panther day.” 

On Jan. 15, Johnson was selected as North Central Region Principal of the Year, and will be automatically considered as a candidate for the North Carolina Principal of the Year. He was previously selected as the Orange County Schools Principal of the Year last October .

Johnson said receiving the award and being a finalist for the North Carolina Principal of the Year is special, but it is not just his doing. His selection as a finalist for the award speaks more to his community and its students, he said, than to his leadership skills. 

“It’s every teacher, it’s every student, it’s every community member that has poured into me and poured into my growth,” he said. “It's really an Orange County award, right? It's not just a Jason Johnson award — it's an Orange County award.”

Xavier Adams, a social studies teacher at Orange High School, said Johnson won the award for several reasons, including his extensive work experience. 

Johnson’s career in education started 28 years ago, working in several roles in schools across North Carolina. When he worked at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Johnson said he coached principals on how to best serve their students.

After serving as principal of Orange High School for four years, he left to pursue another administrative job in education. However, he said he decided to return to Orange High School because he loved everything about the school, including its sense of community.

“Every person I encounter has made a positive impact on me, even when we disagree,” he said. “I use those moments to learn — I use those moments to grow.”

Adams said Johnson truly believes in supporting his students — at any event, including sports games, concerts or theatre performances, Johnson will be there. He also said Johnson is very approachable, and students and staff often stop him in the hallway to talk to him.

“When you get a really strong principal like Principal Johnson, walking down the hallway, you kind of feel like you're walking with a celebrity,” Mariah Morris, the director of strategic initiatives for Orange County Schools, said.

Johnson goes beyond just showing up for students, Adams said, and also does a lot of planning to help school staff with their goals. He said Johnson allows teachers to be leaders in their classrooms, rather than micromanaging them.

“I was just really struck with how important it was for him to make this something that the teachers believed in and that their voices were valued,” Morris said. 

Johnson said some of his fondest memories are of seeing his students achieve their dreams after they graduate, including when two of his past students, who were first-generation, received full-ride scholarships to Duke University. Additionally, he said two other former students became Morehead Cain Scholars at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Adams said Johnson is focused on promoting equity in Orange High School by encouraging students of color to enroll in higher level AP classes, although some people in the school district have challenged his equity-focused framework for his students. 

“Even with people having their complaints and creating different sorts of pressure that [Johnson] experiences, he stayed true to what he believes is best for students,” Adams said. 

Johnson said his goal for the future of Orange High School is to maximize each student’s potential, helping them get to a place where they are prepared for the future and whichever career path they choose. He also said he hopes to see more funding for public education.

“When a community rallies behind a principal when they get an accolade like this, it really shows why they are special and what sets them apart,” Morris said. “All of us, we feel like we're winning alongside him.”

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com