Harris named principal at Tharptown Elementary

R U S S E L L V I L L E — Brooke Harris is no stranger to the halls of Tharptown Elementary. She’s walked them not only as a student but also as a teacher, coach and assistant principal.

Now, she’s stepping into the principal’s role, bringing with her more than a decade of experience and a deep connection to the school she calls home.

She has taught both upper elementary and middle school English language arts, and she’s spent more than seven years coaching the varsity cheerleaders. For the past two years, she served as assistant principal.

Harris said her focus now is strengthening relationships, supporting teachers, and guiding the school’s continued growth without losing that closeknit feel.

She estimates Tharptown Elementary has about 540 students and continues to grow.

Space is always a challenge, she said, along with keeping up with changing state requirements.

Harris finds joy in the everyday moments of student growth.

“It’s the lightbulb moments,” she said. “Especially the younger grades… just being able to watch them learn, and in those moments where it’s like, ‘Aha, they got it.’

“It’s amazing to watch them from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, just how much knowledge they get from being in those classrooms.”

She described Tharptown Elementary as a place where people look out for each other.

“We’re like a family. People here support one another and genuinely want what’s best for the students and for each other.”

As a leader, she said she values collaboration and wants staff to feel heard.

“I want to be someone who teachers can come to and say, ‘This is what I need,’ and I’ll try to make it happen,” she said. “Let’s figure it out together.”

She said she’s proud of the positive atmosphere teachers create in the classroom and the way they work together to help students.

“It’s fulfilling to be able to make a positive impact on the teachers, to support them and walk alongside them in the daily instruction.”

Her path to education became clear after the loss of her daughter, Gracie, shortly after high school. The experience reshaped her outlook and deepened her sense of purpose. She began to see how every child deserves love, patience and support.

She also thought back to the women who shaped her — teachers like Judy Malone, who taught her in third grade.

“I just remember how … Mrs. Malone made learning fun and meaningful. I wanted to be that person for kids.”

She returned to college at 24 while raising a family and became the first in her family to graduate from college. She earned a degree in elementary education with a minor in English Language Learners from Athens State University. She later became certified to teach high school English and reading.

Her great aunt, Carylon Thorn, also inspired her path. Thorn, a longtime educator and role model, worked in schools throughout Franklin County.

“She poured into so many kids, including me,” Harris said.

Harris said she hopes her students remember that she showed up and stood beside them.

“I was always there,” she said. “Even if they didn’t have somebody at home, they could count on me to be cheering them on and encouraging them.”

She and her husband, Jason, are raising four children — Klaudia, Jacie, Madie and Ray — all of whom have attended or are currently attending Tharptown.