CLAY COUNTY – This year’s principal of the year wouldn’t be where she’s at today without this year’s assistant principal of the year.

Green Cove Springs Junior High principal Jennifer Halter and Orange Park Junior High assistant principal Janice Tucker are the 2021 principal and assistant principal of the year, respectively. They go way back – as far back as Halter’s jump from classroom teacher to school administration.

“I started teaching English in 2005 and after eight years, I decided I wanted to move to administration,” Halter said, remembering her time teaching at OPJH. “Janice took me under my wing and served as my mentor. She taught me how to be an assistant principal so I really owe all of this to her.”

Halter transitioned from teaching to assistant principal at Green Cove for one year before working as the vice principal there for another. She’s been the principal of GCSJH for six years since, and through teary eyes, she reflected on how essential Tucker was to putting Halter on this track.

Hatler recalled a recent podcast she listened to FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist, Abby Wambach, where she learned Wambach points at a teammate every time she scores a goal because, “every goal [she’s] every scored belonged to [her] team.”

Wambach says she can’t score a goal without a teammate first passing the ball to her and Halter said that really struck a chord with her.

She’s pointing at Tucker today.

She’s also pointing at what she calls the best community a principal could want, as well as the best teachers and students. Tucker said Halter is more than deserving of the recognition. Halter said the same of Tucker.

Tucker has been in education for more than 30 years. She’s taught in classrooms, she’s been an assistant principal, a vice principal and a principal. Tucker was the assistant principal of OPJH from 2009 to 2012. She left for a principal position in Oakleaf for a couple of years but found herself back at OPJH as the assistant principal in 2015.

“It’s what I like to call a real-world school,” Tucker said. “It has a diverse population, much like the real world, and it’s filled with so many wonderful people, both in staff and in students.”

Part of Tucker’s return to OPJH was it becoming a Title 1 school. She wanted to help the school navigate those waters – it’s been great, she said – and still has some plans for the school’s future before she begins the trek towards retirement, which Tucker foresees in the coming years.

Both women are excited to have received the “of the year” titles and to receive it in the same year is even more exciting. They said it’s a full circle of their mother-daughter-like relationship.

Tucker learned Halter would be receiving the Principal of the Year title a few days before Halter found out, and Tucker remembers the joy in her heart she felt. Halter received a radio call that sounded urgent – she thought she was heading to break up a fight on campus – but when she arrived at the cafeteria, everyone began to sing happy birthday to her. Superintendent David Broskie broke the news to Halter shortly afterward.

Tucker, on the other hand, was doing a walkthrough of a classroom of the OPJH 2021 Teacher of the Year, when Broskie walked in with balloons and flowers. She thought they were for the teacher but Broskie continued to advance toward her.

It was an honor for both of them, especially to have received the recognition in arguably the toughest year of education in modern history for Clay County due to COVID-19. They said education in a pandemic isn’t something you’re taught in school or in training courses. Everyone is learning as they go, including the district leadership who both say have done an excellent job, and to know that their efforts, especially in this year, are recognized and valid and that means the world to them.

Halter said it felt good to know her own mentor was the assistant principal of the year when she learned Tucker had won that distinction. Tucker said it makes her feel good to know that Halter and others are the future of the district, especially as she eyes retirement.

“I have two philosophies that I live by: It’s not your title, but what you do with that title that matters,” Tucker said. “Also, if you can’t help anyone, what is your purpose for living? I believe the leaders and the teachers in this district, the people like Halter, exemplify that and it gives me hope that this district will be in good hands when I decide to retire.

“People say what they say about young people but the young people are our future. I say to them that they just haven’t met the right young people.”

As the two look toward the future, Halter said she sees a district prepared for extensive growth. She said the district’s strategic planning and open-mindedness as it barrels toward that growth is comforting. Tucker agreed and said the district’s desire to change and switch things up will lead to even greater success.

“Clay County schools have a very bright future,” Tucker said. “We’re currently under a great team that is open-minded and has a vision for everyone to excel. Many might want things to continue the way they always have but our district and our superintendent are ready to do things differently and I believe that’s how we’ll reach new heights. I look forward to seeing where we go.”