Mandy Greer: Happy Valley Elementary School’s new principal

Published 4:06 pm Thursday, July 16, 2020

BY BRITTNEE NAVE

STAR CORRESPONDENT

Mandy Greer has been named the new principal of Happy Valley Elementary School.

Greer will be taking over from the school’s former principal, Stephen Garland, who has now been named the new principal of Unaka Elementary School.

Happy Valley has been a constant in Greer’s life from elementary school to high school when she graduated in 2004.

“I spent many wonderful years at the elementary, middle and high school,” she said.

After graduating from East Tennessee State University she began working at Happy Valley Middle School from 2008-2017. Greer served as assistant principal at Unaka High School from 2017-2019, and assistant principal at Happy Valley High School for the 2019-2020 school year.

Greer said that teachers she had in school and the impact they made are the reason she decided to become a teacher.

“I had some wonderful teachers who influenced me in the past,” she said. “Some of which being from Happy Valley Elementary School. One being Mr. Robert Clark. He was my second grade teacher, and he is still someone I keep in contact with today.”

Greer said she wanted to continue the impact those educators made on her with her own students.

She said watching how much students can grow is one of her favorite things about teaching.

“That was very neat to me,” she said. “I think keeping up with them through the years and keeping those relationships is one of my favorite things.”

Greer explained that children can change so much in as little as a year. She still keeps in touch with some students from all the way back when she first started teaching. She has also enjoyed serving as a mentor to some of the older students as well.

According to Greer, becoming a principal comes with similar goals.

“I think just having that impact in my classroom and having that on a larger scale is really what I was excited about,” she said.

Greer has already begun her role at the elementary school, meeting with teachers and learning of the upcoming plans for the school year amid the pandemic. She said she feels prepared for this new role and praised the administration, including the new director Tracy McAbee, for their work in planning to maintain a safe haven for children amidst the uncertainty this year has brought with it.

In addition to her role at the school, Greer is active in her church, has been married for 14 years and has a 10-year old son.

To the parents and students, she wants them to know that veteran assistant principal Lisa Ensor will still be a familiar face to the families of the school and is also a huge asset to her in the transition into this upcoming journey.

Greer also said she wants families and students to know she is all in to be there for them to take care of their needs. She encourages all stakeholders, parents, etc. to do the same in helping kids succeed.

“In saying that I’m all in, I hope that the community sees me as a willing participant, as a servant leader, as someone who’s going to rally around their kids and love them like my own,” she said.