Many attribute the profound academic improvements at Lonsdale Elementary School in Knoxville to the leadership of Principal Lisa Light. She has implemented effective strategies in curriculum and instruction that have provided a complex structure of expectations and benchmarks to help Lonsdale students improve their learning. In the three years that she has been principal, student scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) have increased by at least 13 percentage points in reading, math, science and social studies. Her accomplishments as a principal led Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale to designate a "Lisa Light Day" in an official proclamation. A frequent presenter on urban education, Ms. Light serves on the district's Urban Education Task Force and is a member of the advisory board for Project GRAD Knoxville, which promotes early involvement in improving the state's graduation rate. Having coined the phrase that has since become the school's theme—"Remember, today is a great day for learning at Lonsdale."—Ms. Light is a beacon of academic leadership guiding her students toward a brighter future.
