Media Advisory
Kaylen Tucker, NAESP
703-518-6257
ktucker@naesp.org
Alexandria, VA—May 23, 2011—Tanya Patricia Jones, principal of Woodall School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was recently elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Gail Connelly, NAESP’s executive director, announced the election results from the Association’s headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
Jones begins her three-year term as director of Zone 8 on July 1. She will represent principals in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
“Relationships are the most important aspect of our work and the foundation of my professional code. Families, students, teachers, state-elected officials, and national leaders are all keys to a successful school experience,” Jones said. “We cannot afford to lose any one of these vital connections and endanger the future of a child in our care.”
Jones has been a member of NAESP since 2003, serving as a representative in the Delegate Assembly (2009-2010) and participating in the Federal Relations Conference (2010-2011) and the National Leaders Conference (2009-2010). She has also been a member of the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP)/Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration since 2003 and the Oklahoma and National Education Associations since 1996.
In 2006, Jones received the Kappa Delta Pi Educator Presenter Award and in 2007 was named the Tahlequah Public Schools Administrator of the Year. In 2008 and 2009, she was the OAESP Grant Award Winner and in 2009, Jones was recognized as the Great Expectations Model School Principal.
Jones began her education career in 1995 as a teacher in Keys Public Schools. After serving as parent liaison in 2003 and as assistant principal in 2004, she became principal of Cherokee Elementary School before becoming principal of Woodall School, a position she has held since 2009.
Jones earned a B.S. in education and an M.A. in school administration from Northeastern State University.
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Established in 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) serves elementary and middle school principals in the United States, Canada, and overseas. NAESP leads in the advocacy and support for elementary and middle-level principals and other education leaders in their commitment to all children.