Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Gatesville Independent School District is home to many hard-working staff members who go above and beyond to do what is best for their students, and one of those individuals is Gatesville High School principal Elizabeth Shoaf. Her efforts throughout the school year led her to receive the 2024 Administrator of the Year award.
Annually, an employee of Gatesville ISD is named as the Administrator of the Year. This year, it was a complete surprise for Shoaf as she humbly did not expect to receive the award.
“I didn't know I had been selected until I saw the announcement on the school district's Facebook page,” Shoaf said. “It was an absolute honor to receive the recognition, especially because there are so many amazing and more deserving administrators in the district.”
Shoaf has served within Gatesville ISD for 20 years, but her journey at the high school began when she was a student herself, graduating in 1998. She began working for the district as a third-grade elementary teacher and has now worked her way up to the top as lead principal.
With this past school year only being her first year as principal of the high school, she has already brought a real academic focus to the campus.
Shoaf expressed that this past year has taught her many things, including that strong and trusting relationships are the key to overcoming challenges and achieving growth.
“We started the year focused on building a culture that motivates everyone in the building to do and be their best,” she said. “We made it our daily mission to be available, listen, and celebrate the big and little things.”
She expressed that she has always had a passion for teaching and loved every minute of the 17 years she spent in the classroom. But in her role as principal, she said that it has been eye-opening and motivating to see the school system from a different angle.
“I have learned to channel my passion into not just supporting students, but also the adults in the building,” she said. “I am in awe of the work our team does every day and want them to feel respected and supported.”
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is being able to see students experience success and have fun while doing it,” she said.
Shoaf explained that her daily responsibilities mainly revolve around being present and available for students, staff, and parents. She is always on the go to make sure that her campus is taken care of.
“I usually have three to four meetings scheduled each day that are centered around instruction or the campus' and students' needs,” she said. “Every unscheduled minute is spent checking in on teachers, students, and staff that have questions or need support.”
GISD Superintendent Dr. Barrett Pollard expressed his thoughts on Shoaf’s award.
“Mrs. Shoaf kept a tight handle on safety and security, but she put a tremendous emphasis on curriculum, instruction, and assessment,” Dr. Pollard said. “Being a homegrown product and teaching third grade for so many years, Liz knows all of our families and has strong connections to the students. Liz helps all aspects of the campus to be successful including academics, CTE, fine arts, and athletics. Mrs. Shoaf has strong support from her staff, students, other campus leaders, and central office.”
He also made it known that Shoaf has made history this year by being the first Gatesville ISD administrator of Hispanic heritage in the history of the district.
“I hope Mrs. Shoaf can remain Gatesville High School principal for years to come,” he said.
Shoaf said that she is excited about next school year because the high school has a fun-loving and hard-working student body that the campus is ready to learn and grow with.
“We ended the 2023-2024 school year with a lot of success, and this is a reflection of the staff's commitment to doing what is best for kids,” she said. “We have set new goals and have a theme we'll announce in August that we plan on weaving into important components of the school day and year like academics, attendance, school spirit, community involvement, and character education.”
