Polk County Public Schools is proud to announce our district’s Principals of the Year!
Congratulations to Principal Ronda Cotter from Westwood Middle, and Assistant Principal Leandrea Sessoms from Lake Gibson Middle.
Cotter and Sessoms were selected from a group of outstanding PCPS principal finalists, with the overall winners chosen by a panel of regional superintendents, and approved by district leadership. Cotter and Sessoms will now move on for consideration as the Florida Department of Education’s Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year.
Congratulations to this year’s other finalists from PCPS:
Principals: Cindy Braaten, Davenport School of the Arts; Michael Sears, Jewett School of the Arts; Michelle Townley, Willow Oak School; Ryan Vann, Lake Gibson High; Lucus Wilkins, Winston Academy of Engineering
Assistant Principals: Jessica Gavin, Garden Grove Elementary; Nikki Jordan, Winter Haven High/Cambridge; Megan Long, Kathleen Elementary; Jennifer Martinez, Lakeland Highlands Middle; Rebecca Pierce, Lake Marion Creek Middle
The Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year winners will be recognized during the PCPS Inspire Awards on Friday, Nov. 7, at the RP Funding Center. The event will also feature the naming of the 2025-26 Polk County Teacher and School-Related Employee of the Year.
More information about this year’s award winners:
Ronda Cotter, Principal, Westwood Middle
Ronda Cotter is our Principal of the Year, and it should come as no surprise. In the summer of 2023 she was presented with an opportunity to lead Westwood Middle, and set her sights on raising student academic performance. By the end of 2023-24, Westwood had improved to a C grade, with students seeing gains in nearly every academic category. Last year, the school fell just one point short of a B. Cotter works hard to build a positive school culture and listen to the needs of her staff, and it’s made a significant difference in recruitment and retention. She’s also placed an emphasis on the student experience at Westwood. By implementing new incentives and events that encourage positive behavior, student attendance has climbed and suspensions are way down. Cotter explains Westwood’s approach: “We are building a school culture that celebrates effort, encourages growth, and creates joy in learning.”
Leandrea Sessoms, Assistant Principal, Lake Gibson Middle
Leandrea Sessoms is part of the fabric at Lake Gibson Middle. She spent years working as a math teacher and coach before rising to assistant principal in 2019, and that kind of experience has paid off. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, Lake Gibson students were struggling to get back on track. Sessums began leading weekly professional development sessions with the school’s math and science teachers, which led to new strategies in the classroom that got results. She also brought back after-school tutoring sessions and even arranged transportation so students could get much-needed extra help. Lake Gibson is steadily making progress toward a B grade. Over the years, Sessoms has also been instrumental in developing successful efforts to increase student engagement, attendance and positive behavior. She says it’s important that “everyone feels seen and valued, receives praise, and knows they are capable of success, regardless of their background.” That’s why Sessoms is our Assistant Principal of the Year.
