Anissa Upshaw-Lanotte Named Co-Principal of Highland Elementary School

It was recently announced that NCE alum Anissa Upshaw-Lanotte ('13 MAT ELE & '18 MED EDL) will join Highland Elementary School in Elgin as the Co-Principal starting in the 2023-24 school year, with plans to transition into the school's principal role in 2024-25. NCE connected with Anissa to learn more about her educational career and how NCE prepared her for this next step.

Tell us about yourself and your career path. What inspired you to become an educator? A school leader?

Prior to my educational career, I have more than fifteen years of retail management, corporate acumen in corporate sales, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. My elementary educators inspired me to become an educator. I took the scenic route to get where I truly believe I belong. I’ve been in education for 13 years, and right from the start, my love for learning has been the foundation for my continued self-motivation and personal growth. I inherently believe all students matter, and becoming a school leader is an ideal position to be in to build upon that belief. I will not stop the continuation of personal learning in efforts to create equitable learning paths for all students.

What did you study at NLU? What are you doing now?

At NLU, I earned my Masters in Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership. Currently, I am paying off those student loans :o).

How did NCE shape your professional perspectives and practice?

NCE shaped my professional perspectives and practice by building my understanding that it is important that I Invest in myself as an educator as it is the best way to ensure both my professional growth as well as academic growth for my students. The demands of teaching are constantly evolving—and it is my responsibility to keep up with the latest developments in the teaching field in order to make well-informed decisions. Furthermore, being a purposeful instructional leader, principals must constantly study research on best instructional practices that lead to improved student outcomes. Lastly, the instructors, support staff, and mentors within NCE are mainstays because they are genuinely supportive before, during, and after coursework. I know I can contact anyone at NCE and get the answers/guidance I need even five years later!

What do you love most about your current work? What do you find the most challenging?

Seeing students flourish is the most rewarding! Cultivating relationships with both students and colleagues makes difficult times easier. The single most challenging part of my role every day is the “undoing” of the inequitable systems that are barriers to the diverse needs of students and educators.  

What’s a piece of advice you would offer to aspiring teachers and education leaders?

This work is lifelong learning. Educators impact not just student learning but the experiences that students have in their schools.