Durham, N.C. — Gwen Johnson of Mangum Elementary School was named Durham Public Schools’ Principal of the Year on Wednesday. She will represent the school system in the North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year competition.

A committee of former principals of the year and DPS administrators chose Johnson.

The next stage of the competition is regional, and then the six regional winners will advance to the final level. One principal will be chosen from these regions as the winner of the North Carolina Wachovia Principal of the Year award.

Johnson has been principal of Mangum since 2004. Before that, she taught several different grade levels at Oak Grove Elementary School from 1977-99. From 1999-2004, Johnson was director of instruction at Oak Grove.

She holds two master’s degrees – one in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the other in education from North Carolina Central University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in science from East Carolina University.

“Gwen Johnson is a very well-seasoned elementary educator with a passion for her job like few principals I have known,” said Superintendent Carl Harris. “Her dedication to her students, their families and the teachers in her school is evident in the school’s overall climate and student achievement levels. Gwen will represent us extremely well at the regional and state levels.”