by Hanna Singh
Lincoln Parish has announced their 2024-25 Principals of the Year.
The recipients are Chris Jones from Choudrant High School, and Mandy Brown from Ruston Elementary. These two hardworking principals have dedicated their time and efforts to making a positive impact at their schools.
Jones, who originally earned a degree in business, began his career in the private sector while coaching baseball and football as a side passion. After feeling a calling from God to do something different with his life, he realized that coaching and teaching was all he really ever wanted to do. This led him to leave the private sector and accept a position teaching science at Calhoun Middle School.
While teaching, Jones earned his alternative teaching certification and spent the next decade in the classroom. His leadership journey began when he became an assistant principal under Tony Antley, a role he cites as one of the highlights of his career. After eight years in that position, Antley retired, and Jones worked briefly under Dana Talley before being named principal of Choudrant High School.
Looking back on his career, Jones expresses gratitude for the opportunity to be in his current position and described why he truly enjoys his career.
“I love my school. My own children have been through CHS, we love our community, and when I think back to the decision I made almost 20 years ago, to leave something comfortable behind to take a chance, it is humbling how much God has blessed me,” Jones said. “My favorite thing about my job is the kids. I love being around them and I love seeing them develop and become successful.
“I love serving students, investing time in students, and I love building relationships with families. Successful schools are filled with people that love kids. I think the biggest factor for any teacher, coach or administrator to be successful is first, loving students. You can teach people how to follow curriculum and you can teach people content knowledge, but you can’t make people love teenagers.”
In Brown’s case, teaching was something she pursued from the beginning of her career. Majoring in elementary education, she began her career as a student teacher at Simsboro Elementary, where she taught for two years. Brown then spent a decade at Hillcrest Elementary before moving to Ruston Elementary, where she taught for two additional years.
In 2017, Brown was promoted to coordinating teacher at Ruston Elementary, where her leadership qualities earned her the role of principal. Reflecting on her impact, Brown described the opportunities that she and her staff have worked on to enrich the lives of their students.
“Investing in children’s lives is a contribution that cannot be measured financially. Just as coaches face pressure to win, principals face pressure on improvement in test scores, I am proud of the improvement and growth we have shown but our students at RES are more than a number,” Brown said. “As their principal, I want them to have opportunities that improve their quality of life and school experiences.
“With our dedicated faculty and staff, we have been able to not only improve our daily classroom instruction but offer so many extracurricular opportunities as well. These clubs and activities allow our students to grow in all areas. We could not do this without our dedicated teachers assuming more roles outside of the classroom.”
The years of continued dedication and love for their positions make Jones and Brown worthy recipients of their “Principals of the Year” titles. As leaders with extensive backgrounds in education and a deep passion for helping students succeed, Jones and Brown have gone beyond their administrative duties, creating schools where students are empowered to achieve their goals. These inspiring leaders in education have made an important impact in the lives of many students, parents, and staff in the Lincoln Parish Community.
