At Wilmot Elementary School in North Wilmot, all of whose students live in poverty, Principal Johnettee Walker's spirit of innovation and motivation has transformed the school into a center of learning and pride. By implementing a year-round school calendar with inter-sessions for enrichment and remediation, the region's first-ever pre-kindergarten program, and a voluntary school uniform policy, Mrs. Walker has helped raise student test scores over the past three years-in some cases by more than 50 percent. To fund student trips to such places as the ocean or the Memphis Civil Rights Museum, while at the same time developing students' math skills, she established a student-run store called Wes-Mart, which also serves the entire Wilmot community.
