Durham's Principal of the Year a 'leader among leaders'

Durham, N.C. — Durham Public Schools has named James Key of Riverside High as Principal of the Year.

He will represent Durham in the 2008 North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year competition.

A committee of former Durham principals of the year and school administrators chose Key as the winner.

He will join the winning principals from five other regions across the state to advance to the finals, where one will be chosen as the statewide winner.

“Jim Key is a leader among leaders and very deserving of this great honor," Superintendent Carl Harris said in a press release sent Friday. "With him at the helm, Riverside High School has increased advanced academics offerings for students. Jim fosters the kind of spirit that is critical to a school’s success.”

Key has led Riverside since 2004. Before that, he was principal at Carrington Middle and Eno Valley Elementary.

He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Key was named the 2nd Best Principal in the Triangle by The Independent Weekly in 2008 and was recognized as Teacher of the Year at both Riverside High and Chewning Middle.

He also taught social studies at the middle and high school level. In addition to his background in education, Key was an American Defense Leadership Award and Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army in 1989 and served for 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserves.