Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year: Teresa Schultz

Every year, the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) selects Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year winners at the elementary and secondary levels. The award is the highest level of recognition for school principals in the state, and winners have opportunities to be a voice for school leaders in Washington and beyond. This year, the ESD 113 region is home to both elementary-level winners: Teresa (Traci) Schultz, assistant principal at Southworth Elementary in Yelm Community Schools, and Kim Doughty, principal at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary in Tumwater. Our Board of Directors will honor them at their April meeting. 

Last month, we highlighted Kim Doughty. This time, we share the work of our Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year, Traci Schultz.

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Schultz believes that every interaction can change a life. She carries that belief into Southworth Elementary, where she is an assistant principal for Yelm Community Schools. Schultz is known for being a steady, realistic leader with a positive, loving outlook that motivates the work she does. 

Leading from the heart, however, doesn’t mean Schultz has a soft spot for academics. Serving as her district's advanced academic coordinator, she balances students’ emotional well-being with academic excellence and student achievement. She has worked to strengthen the school’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), leading to more targeted interventions and student growth, along with other teacher supports that have improved learning outcomes. 

What sets Schultz apart is the persistent hope she brings to her school and district, in general. Guided by transparency and an open-door policy, Schultz has worked to improve staff and district relations and reduce turnover during controversial times, while maintaining a positive, hopeful lens.

We emailed Schultz to see what advice she has for other leaders in our region facing similar challenges and how partnerships can support improving school and district culture.

113: It's no secret that Yelm has weathered significant challenges—levy losses, turnover, and community strain. What would you tell other school leaders working in communities in our region where support feels uncertain right now?

TS: My answer starts with my own story. I grew up in a rural Midwest town where everything felt predetermined, and a high school counselor told me I could drop geometry because I wouldn't need it in our small town. Then a teacher believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, and that changed everything.

I carry that lesson into my work now. To leaders facing levy failures and budget cuts, I’d say this: remember your roots. Don’t get too caught up in the crisis. Focus on what actually matters.

Culture is your most valuable asset, and it doesn’t cost any money. After our triple levy loss and teacher strike, I rebuilt trust through honest conversations. Treating the person in front of you with dignity, compassion, and respect goes a long way. I have an open-door policy—if my door is open, anyone can stop in. Some people need to talk about their latest LEGO project or their new baby. Others need to vent about a stressful classroom situation. Some need to cry when they’re at the end of their rope or unsure what the future holds. They know my office is a safe space with chocolate, tissues, and a listening ear.

Second, model resilience for staff and students. Take time to laugh and share a funny story. I work with elementary kids, and they always have something that brings a smile to my face. Support teachers and students in ways that are authentic to who you are.

When funding is tight, genuine belief in people becomes the currency that matters most. That belief, combined with showing up with compassion and humor, is what keeps schools functioning when traditional support disappears.

113: How do you think about the relationship between school culture and community partnerships, especially in areas like ours, rich in tribal connections and other partnership opportunities? How are the opportunities important for other schools, just like yours?

TS: Culture and community partnerships are intertwined. You can’t have one without the other, especially in a school like ours.

We work really closely with our military families, and it’s intentional. We have military counselors on site to support our students. But more importantly, we invite families to participate in ways that feel meaningful to them. That might be helping with our field-day obstacle courses or even landing helicopters on our playground so students can climb aboard and learn about their parents' work firsthand.

Our Veterans Day assembly always brings tears to my eyes. Students create a slideshow celebrating their family members who serve. It’s powerful because the kids are giving voice to their own sacrifice and their families’ sacrifice. We also celebrate Military Child Month as a whole school—not just as an event, but as a way of saying: your family structure matters here, and your resilience matters here.

We also deeply honor the Nisqually and other Native communities close to our school. Our school was actually built as a canoe journey with Native language on the walls of each hallway. We invite Native language teachers from the community to teach our Native students during the school day. By dedicating instructional time to this work, we communicate something real: this is an important part of their lives and their learning.

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The AWSP Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year honor is especially uplifting during a season where many assistant principal positions are being cut due to budget constraints. Assistant principals, like Traci Schultz, provide a key element of support for schools and districts that can’t be found anywhere else. 

In a time of struggle, Schultz has persevered and created a school culture where students want to learn and staff want to teach. She has enriched Southworth with cultural influence and a steady light of hope that has made a tangible, measurable difference. You do not find educators like Schultz every day; she has more than earned the title of Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year.

Please join ESD 113 in celebrating Traci Schultz for being a leader all students deserve!

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AWSP needs your help finding the next Washington State Principals and Assistant Principals of the Year! Let's recognize some of the amazing leadership around the state. Nominations open through May 31. Nominate today!