Ms. Traci Lightfoot, who currently serves as the Principal at Marcellus Elliott Foster Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District, will join the North Little Rock School District as the Executive Director of Elementary School Performance.
Ms. Lightfoot will begin this role on August 1, 2022.
The responsibility of the Executive Director of Elementary School Performance is to provide direct supervision and evaluation of school-based principals at our elementary schools. In addition, Ms. Lightfoot will be responsible for implementing the district’s mission to improve student achievement at every elementary school through leadership coaching, professional development, and support to school-based administrators with all aspects of teaching and learning.
Leading in both urban and suburban educational settings, Ms. Lightfoot’s transformational
leadership has led two failing elementary schools to meet and exceed state standards with her
current campus, rising as an “A” rated school to become a top academic performer in Texas.
Inspired to innovate and open doors of access for all students, Ms. Lightfoot has garnered the
title of Head of School as an authorized International Baccalaureate school in 2021, blazing the
trail of innovation in under-resourced communities and consulting with schools nationally to
support IB implementation in primary years programmes.
Working to enhance instruction by developing curriculum, prescriptive programs, and
collaborative processes, Ms. Lightfoot has inspired a body of work spanning over 20 years that
improves student performance that shapes equitable outcomes. Garnering numerous leadership awards, her experienced leadership has mentored and coached aspiring tier 2 leaders to become school principals.
“I am so excited to accept this role in the North Little Rock School District,” said Ms. Lightfoot.
“I am ready to work with administrators, teachers, and the community to improve outcomes for
all students,” she added.
Ms. Lightfoot received her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Abilene Christian
University and a Master of Education Degree from Prairie View A&M University. A Harvard
Raise Your Hand Alumni, Ms. Lightfoot is a doctoral fellow at The University of Houston Clear
Lake.
“I look forward to working with Ms. Lightfoot,” said Dr. Gregory J. Pilewski, Superintendent of
the North Little Rock School District. “She has a wealth of experience and knowledge that will
empower our students, teachers, and administrators,” he added.
The Executive Director of Elementary School Performance is one of the reorganized Central
Office Administration positions in the North Little Rock School District, which Dr. Pilewski
proposed in the NLRSD Central Office Administration Reorganization Plan (Phase I) and
presented at the Regular Board Meeting in February. The plan was created to improve the level
of services and support to school leaders and classroom teachers to drive continuous
improvement in student learning.