Germantown principal lauded by educators

The Mississippi Association of Secondary School Principals has named Dr. Syl Burrell the Assistant Principal of the Year for 2020. Dr. Burrell will begin her ninth year as an assistant principal at Germantown High School this fall.

"Syl is an outstanding administrator who genuinely loves and cares for her students," said Madison County Schools Superintendent Charlotte Seals, "She is truly deserving of this statewide recognition for her work."

"I am humbled to receive this honor," said Burrell, "There are so many movers and shakers in education in our state who are all working to make a difference. So many others are worthy of recognition."

Dr. Burrell has worked in education for 18 years, first serving as a teacher before moving into administration. Through the years she has worked in elementary, middle, and high schools.

She says the students drive her to be her best, and they are the reason she loves her job. "You really get to know the kids (as an assistant principal). It has to be intentional (to form those relationships), you have to come out of the office and into the halls and classrooms. The kids really keep me going."

A commitment to Mississippi's students runs in Dr. Burrell's family. Her mother, Dr. Lavon Fluker Reed, is a retired superintendent who also served on the Mississippi State Board of Education. While Dr. Burrell did not grow up knowing she would become an educator, she has excelled in the role. Burrell, who earned her undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University, graduated with a Doctor of Education degree from William Carey University this spring.

When she is not on campus at Germantown High School, she loves to travel and spend time with her family, including her husband James and children: Reed, a rising seventh grader at Germantown Middle School and Reagan, a rising fifth grader at Mannsdale Upper Elementary School.