18 February, 2025

Leadership Spotlight: Thalise Perry

The Ori Learning Leadership Spotlight Series is dedicated to showcasing outstanding educational leaders who are making a positive impact in their respective districts and the education world.

Introduction

Thalise Perry is a dedicated educator and leader, serving as Principal of Leonora P. Miles Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia, since 2014. With a career spanning teaching, instructional coaching, and administration, she is committed to fostering a learning environment where students feel valued and empowered.

Under her leadership, the school has successfully merged primary and intermediate programs to improve student achievement, built strong community partnerships, and gained recognition for transformational leadership as a “Turnaround Principal.” Her focus on literacy, numeracy, and rigorous instruction has shaped a culture of excellence among both students and educators.

Ms. Perry holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Georgia Southern University and advanced degrees in Educational Leadership from Argosy University and Mercer University. She remains passionate about inspiring educators to create opportunities that motivate and uplift every learner.

How did you become an educational leader?

I became interested in teaching while working for the Department of Family and Children Services. I worked in the foster care unit and I was afforded the opportunity to visit the schools the students on my caseload attended.

I would speak to their teachers and tutor students who were struggling with reading, and I said to myself, “Wow, this might be my calling!”

I felt so accomplished after witnessing how students improved academically, and their self-esteem soared through the roof! My mother was a teacher as well, and I used to spend July and August going to her school, putting up bulletin boards and organizing her classroom. I looked forward to this time of the year.

After I became a teacher, I began to have the desire to pursue leadership positions. I would shadow my principal and beg her to let me lead various tasks. She selected me to be her math coach, and I didn’t stop there.

I sought out positions at the district level only to learn that my heart was inside the school building with children. I later became a middle school assistant principal, and three years later, I was selected to become an elementary school principal, which was my dream job.

I always knew leading a school was my passion but not just any school. I wanted a school with many challenges and a community that needed me. I wanted to be named a Turnaround Principal, and I proudly carry that title today.

Nothing worth having comes easy and the challenges that I faced have sculpted me into the leader I am today.

What's a lesson about leadership that you've learned or been reminded of recently?

One lesson that I recently learned is that a great team will take you a long way.

You have to have people that are like-minded and dedicated to the overall goal. If you don’t have that, your work is in vain. You could be the hardest-working principal in the world, but if you don’t have a good team, you will fail quickly.

I viewed an Instagram post from Deion Sanders, and he stated, “I don’t want a good player; I want a good team”. That one statement truly spoke to me and encouraged me to build capacity within the leaders at my school.

So my job is to build a good team that focuses on what’s best for students, their families and the overall wellbeing of our staff.

What's one book that has had a profound impact on you as a leader? Why?

“Leverage Leadership” by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo. This book really assisted me with creating and implementing systems and structures for leading a successful school. This book was a valuable resource and I feel every leader should read it and learn the important aspects of leadership.

So far in your career, what have you found most challenging as a leader?

The most challenging aspect of being a leader is that you have to know how to get the best out of everyone even when it’s not in them to give.

I have to highlight their strengths in order to get the best work done. I must know the intricate details about my staff’s personalities, what makes them feel valued and appreciated, and what turns them off.

Sometimes I just want to say what I’m feeling and ask them to get the job done quickly. However, that is not the right approach.

Building relationships, taking the time to learn details about the lives of my staff and tapping into their strengths helps tremendously. This was something I had to learn. This was a challenge for me because I am intrinsically motivated, and I had to grasp the notion that all people have different methods of showing motivation and drive.

Of all the challenges the educational world faces today, what is one area you are most passionate about and would like to make an impact in?

I am very passionate about social-emotional learning. I want my students to know how to respect and treat one another and adequately resolve conflict.

Physical altercations are not the answer. You can get the same results by communicating your wants and needs effectively.

I tell my students to listen first to understand and then respond. I want them to be self-aware. They must reflect upon the decisions they make and learn that one decision may affect so many people.

Being passionate about SEL just helps educators teach our students how to handle the ups and downs of life at an early age.

What are you most proud of during your time as a leader?

It gives me great pleasure as a leader to have my former students come back and visit to tell me what they learned from me when I was their principal.

I have had students say to me that when times get hard, they often ask themselves, “What would Ms. Perry do?”

These moments make me proud to be a leader, and they let me know that I have done what I was determined to do: have a positive impact on young lives.

Finally, if you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

I would tell them to build positive relationships, put systems in place and have a good team to support you.

For more articles in the Leadership Spotlight series, you can read our interview with Dr. Simone Lewis. We discuss the role of mentorship in her journey to becoming an educational leader, the power of pivoting when faced with challenges, and the importance of educational equity.