Tuckaseegee Elementary School Principal LaTresha Wilson was named the Southwest Education Alliance Wells Fargo Regional Principal of the Year at a surprise ceremony Tuesday.
The award makes her a finalist to be considered as the 2026 North Carolina State Principal of the Year.
For the second time in three months, Wilson walked into the Tuckaseegee Elementary School gymnasium to a room full of screaming students and a surprise announcement that she’d been honored for her work.
“To my students, y’all are the smartest, the brightest, most brilliant kids,” Wilson told the students. “You bring me so much joy. I love y’all.”
Wilson was previously honored in October, when she was named the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Principal of the Year.
“When I just think of how much Tuckaseegee Elementary has accomplished in the past two years, it just makes my heart happy,” Wilson said. “We are changing lives, just changing trajectories, and we’re doing it fast.”
Wilson, who grew up in the neighborhood, has overseen significant growth at the school in her two years on the job. Tuckaseegee has moved out of so-called “low-performing” status, and its letter grade increased from a D to a B.
Superintendent Crystal Hill said Wilson has instilled a culture of high expectations and confidence at the school.
“She believes that every single student is beautifully brilliant, and she says that to every single student every single day,” Hill said. “She has instilled the belief that every single student is deserving of an amazing life and that starts with a strong education.”
