Phone: 350-6206

Email: Jo.landreth@ashevillecityschools.net

I am so excited to be rejoining the AMS Cougar Family as your principal. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and share with you how we are busily getting ready for the return of students and staff in August.

In the fall of 1992 I began tutoring at Asheville Middle School. I was nineteen years old, and I came to campus three days a week to work with students. I continued as a tutor the following year, and then I began completing my teacher observations and student teaching. After graduation, I worked as a substitute at AMS, until I was hired full time in January of 1997 as a seventh grade English Language Arts and social studies teacher. I later went on to become an Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Specialist, and I taught high school geometry one year. I was the eLearning Advisor for the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) courses. During my nearly 23 years here, I also coached cheer team and golf, along with many academic teams, such as Speech and Debate. I was also the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) advisor for many years. During these years I participated in many committees, drove a bus on occasion, and even taught remedial math. There is not a lot at AMS that I have not done. For the past three years, I have served the Ira B. Jones Elementary School community as its assistant principal. I am so very honored to be back at AMS in this new role. Asheville Middle School has an amazing staff and great students.

I think it is also critical that I share with you briefly some of my guiding principles. First, I believe that every student should have the opportunity to learn something new at school each day. Second, I have high expectations for myself, the staff, and the students. We will all have to work together to ensure that students are growing academically and that we are able to support other needs that they may have. Finally, I value building relationships within our school and community; this is essential to our students' success.