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Caroline Obert Named 2021 Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year

Jan 29, 2021 by Alyssa Godfrey, Director of Communications and Technology

Caroline Obert Named Alabama’s
2021 Middle School Principal of the Year
Sponsored by Horace Mann and Interior Elements

Chelsea, Ala – January 25, 2021:  Mrs. Caroline Obert, principal of Chelsea Middle School in the Shelby County School System, has been named 2021 Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year by the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP).

Obert has served in the roles of teacher, instructional assistant principal, assistant principal, and principal during her 15-year career in education. She has 8 years of administrative experience. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2006. In 2011, she obtained a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she also earned an educational specialist degree in 2012.

The Middle School Principal of the Year award was presented to Obert on Monday, January 25, 2021, at Chelsea Middle School. Shelby County Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks was in attendance for the presentation. Horace Mann Companies sponsors this award annually and Interior Elements grants an office makeover to the winner.

As principal of Chelsea Middle School, Obert has worked to build relationships of trust and collaboration with students, faculty, parents, and community stakeholders. She led the development of the SWARM program for student achievement which has helped the school’s report card go from a “B” to an “A.” Obert is known for mentoring and helping to grow leaders by helping others see their own potential. Her involvement with Compact Chelsea helps raise awareness of youth substance use issues and educate youth and adults to take action to prevent substance use. Obert was also involved in a bicentennial project establishing a partnership with the Chelsea City Council, Chelsea Middle School, and the Chelsea Historical Society by preserving local history at the Chelsea Museum, the Crane House.

Each AASSP district names a district nominee for the Middle School Principal of the Year Award. The district winners are:

District 1  Tiffany Irby Kalakheti   Daphne Middle  Baldwin County 
District 2 Brandon Kiser Admiral Moorer Middle Eufaula City
District 3  Christy Mims Jemison Middle Chilton County
District 4 Sarah Armstrong JF Drake Middle Auburn City
District 5 Caroline Obert Chelsea Middle  Shelby County
District 6 Bobby Tittle Ohatchee School Calhoun County
District 7N Stephanie Wieseman Sheffield Junior High Sheffield City
District 8 Graham Aderholt Athens Middle School  Athens City

Of the district nominees, three were named finalists. The finalists interviewed with a panel of judges at the AASSP/AAMSP Fall Conference in November where the winner was determined. The three finalists were Brandon Kiser, Caroline Obert, and Stephanie Wieseman.

“I am pleased that Caroline Obert is being recognized as the Middle School Principal of the Year,” comments Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks. “Her love of her students and staff, her leadership, and poise under pressure have been instrumental to her success. She leads with intention and a forward-thinking approach. As such, I am extremely proud that this honor is being bestowed upon her.

“Alabama is full of great educational leaders, and Caroline Obert is among their ranks. She truly embodies the spirit of this award through her impact on the students, staff, parents, and community,” said CLAS and AASSP Executive Director Dr. Vic Wilson.

The Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year Award is sponsored by the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals and Horace Mann Companies. As winner of the Alabama Middle School Principal of the year, Mrs. Obert will receive an office makeover compliments of Interior Elements.

Obert will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon during the CLAS Convention on June 15, 2021, at the BJCC in Birmingham. The CLAS Convention is the largest gathering of school leaders in the state of Alabama. She will also be recognized at the AASSP/AAMSP Fall Conference in November 2021.


About AASSP and CLAS: The Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals is an affiliate association of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS).  CLAS is an umbrella association that serves eleven different affiliates comprised of Alabama’s public school administrators.  CLAS is dedicated to providing the framework to connect dedicated school administrators and other successful leaders with a network for professional growth and support.  For more information, visit www.clasleaders.org.

About Horace Mann Companies: Horace Mann helps educators achieve financial success in every stage of their lives with strategies to reduce student loan debt, secure classroom funding without using their own money, and insurance program reviews to find savings.

About Interior Elements: Interior Elements is a furniture dealer that services the K-12 market. Each year, Interior Elements provides an office makeover for the Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year.

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