Following the May 4th meeting of the Asheville City Board of Education, Tima Williams has officially been named the new principal of Asheville Primary School. 

     Effective July 1st, Ms. Williams will be returning to lead Western North Carolina’s first public Montessori school, which, as their 2017-2018 Innovation Coordinator, she helped establish alongside former APS Principal Dawn Meskil.  

     In fact, Williams says she’s most “looking forward to reconnecting with the Montessori community and seeing the wonderful things that Asheville Primary has put in place for the last two years.” 

     An outstanding educator with more than 23 years of experience spanning everything from preschool to college, she began her career as an Exceptional Children’s teacher in McDowell County.  An outstanding educator, Williams was even named McDowell County’s 2009 Teacher of Excellence.  

     After 17 years in the classroom, Williams began her tenure with Asheville City Schools in 2013 as a District Math Coach.  For two years, she developed and presented school-based, district and state level professional development that increased teacher content knowledge and best practices in an effort to strengthen high quality core instruction for all learners.  

     Williams also has experience as an Asheville City Schools’ District Curriculum Specialist and adjunct faculty member at McDowell Technical Community College. 

     Williams currently serves as Isaac Dickson Elementary School’s assistant principal.  In her present role, Williams supports school level curricular planning, is an instructional best practices coach, works alongside her principal for planning, interviewing and hiring staff, is part of the Student Service Support Team as well as continues to support and train regional staff as a Math Consultant, Master Literacy Trainer, Math Foundations Trainer and Reading Research to Classroom Practice Trainer. 

     Williams earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Learning Disabilities K-12 with minors in Psychology and Art from Appalachian State University as well as a Master’s Degree in Executive Leadership from Western Carolina University.  Williams is Nationally Board Certified in Exceptional Needs and holds K-12 Academically and Intellectually Gifted Certification.  She was also selected as Western Carolina University’s 2017 Courageous Leader Award Winner and is a 2018 alumna of Montessori Live’s Administrative Leadership Program. 

     In her spare time, Ms. Williams loves creating art, traveling, hiking, and spending time with family. Ms. Williams is a single mom of two teenage daughters and LOTS of pets.  She has a passion for connecting individuals who can share their strengths to achieve great things and says “helping others is what makes [me] happy!”