Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt took the Flagler Schools “Prize Patrol” on the road this morning, to surprise a pair of deserving school administrators. After the two stops, the district’s Principal and Assistant Principal have been named.
Cara Cronk, principal at Buddy Taylor Middle School is the Flagler Schools Principal of the Year. She’s held her current position since last year, after serving two years as an assistant principal at BTMS and two years as an assistant principal at Matanzas High School. “I just feel like this is a great testament to my team,” says Cronk of this honor. “I could not do this without all the people behind me, our entire leadership team. They are amazing, they support me…we are constantly looking for new things to do for our kids here at Buddy Taylor.”
Superintendent Mittelstadt praised Mrs. Cronk for the work she’s done. “Unchartered waters when she came in last year. We still had students working from home and in our classrooms. She was able to keep the staff motivated. She and her team did some amazing things keeping students engaged through the spring and into the summer. Cara has done a tremendous job in providing support to all Buddy Taylor teachers, employees, staff, and most importantly, the students.”
Mrs. Cronk attended Florida Atlantic University for her undergraduate degree in Education. She earned her Master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from American College of Education. She’s worked with Flagler Schools since August 2004. She was named Flagler Schools Assistant Principal of the Year in 2018.
Amy Neuenfeldt is the Flagler Schools Assistant Principal of the Year. She has been an assistant principal at Indian Trails Middle School since 2017. Mrs. Neuenfeldt has worked with Flagler Schools since 2003. She too cites “teamwork” for her success over the years. “I’m very surprised and very honored. It goes back to all the teams I’ve worked with over the past 19 years. It’s a collaborative effort so I’m very proud to represent Flagler Schools.
Of Mrs. Neuenfeldt, Superintendent Mittelstadt says “Amy is one of our shining stars on our administration team. She is respected by everyone on the ITMS campus and everything she does is to help those Mustang Scholars excel. She has a passion for reaching out to those students who may need a little extra assistance in finding their footing in school.”
Ryan Andrews, principal of Indian Trails Middle School writes in his nomination letter, “Schools are living, breathing organisms with their own heartbeat, and without Mrs. Neuenfeldt, our school and its success would not be the same.”
Amy Neuenfeldt is a 2003 graduate of Flagler College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, Deaf Education. She earned her Master of Educational Leadership from the University of West Florida in 2014. Mrs. Neuenfeldt has been a teacher, reading coach, and teacher support colleague in Flagler Schools over the past 18 years in the district.
Both administrators will now represent Flagler Schools for their statewide honors.
Media Release: Flagler Schools. Jason Wheeler, Community Information Specialist
