Dr. Angela Kornegay Sampson is a product of Montgomery Public Schools. She attended Southlawn Elementary, Brewbaker Intermediate, and Middle School before graduating from Jefferson Davis High School. After finishing high school at 17 years of age, she joined the Alabama Army National Guard, where she served for eight years, one year of which she spent in Saudi Arabia during the Desert Storm/ Desert Shield War.

Dr. Sampson earned degrees in Elementary Education (BS) and Leadership & Policy Development at Alabama State University, Troy University (MS), and Auburn University (EDS) in Montgomery-- all with honors. She completed the Doctorate of Education program (Ed. D) at NorthCentral (National) University in 2022. Before becoming an administrator, she was a classroom teacher for eight years at Southlawn Elementary and Carver Arts Magnet Elementary in grades 2, 4, and 6.

Dr. Sampson became Highland Gardens Elementary's first African-American Principal in 2004. Governor Bob Riley honored her and her staff for "closing achievement gaps" and exceeding academic goals with impoverished children. Under her administration, Highland Gardens Elementary became recognized as one of the schools in the county showing the most progress in meeting "adequate yearly progress" goals in reading and math. Additionally, a grant was awarded to her from the Educational Foundation of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for an "Expanding Our World" project to increase student knowledge of world cultures, climate populations, geography, and natural resources.

After serving seven years as principal at Highland Gardens, Dr. Sampson was delighted to accept the Principal of MacMillan International Academy position in 2011! While at MIB, she established and maintained partnerships with Maxwell Air War College and Learning Express Center for Mandarin Chinese tutoring in the afternoons and implemented several afternoon programs such as track, dance, and karate to keep students active---all inspired by the "Just Move" Initiative of former first lady, Michelle Obama.

During her time at MacMillan, she, along with her staff, led the authorization process to receive the distinctive honor of becoming the very FIRST Primary Years International Baccalaureate School in the city of Montgomery in 2014, which birthed the "MIB" theme--"Agents of Change."

In 2015, Dr. Sampson was recognized by the Montgomery Advertiser as one of 10 "Women of Spirit" under the age of 45 "who stand out for what they believe, who demonstrate passion, leadership, creativity, and who are bold and confident in their approach to life and work."

In the summer of 2015, Dr. Sampson was honored to accept a position as a District Education Specialist for MPS, where she served in the Office of Student Support Services for three years, working to support students and families in meeting their educational goals. Dr. Sampson assisted elementary, middle, and high school administrators and counselors with Section 504 procedures. She was also responsible for leading due process hearings for general education students and students with 504 accommodations.

Her love for educational leadership and children led her back to the education administration in 2018, where she returned to the school sector and served as Principal at Pintlala Elementary School during the pandemic era. While at Pintlala, Dr. Sampson established partnerships with Maxwell Airforce Base, implementing innovative, engaging hands-on STEM instruction in programming drones through the STARBASE program and Walmart, in which she wrote community grants for school improvement. The school was awarded over $20K from the Walmart foundation to build a covered play gym for the physical education program and to establish an outdoor classroom teaching students to cultivate and grow vegetables. The school was also highly engaged with a competitive Robotics team of students in grades 2-6!

After Dr. Sampson's leadership for four years, Pintlala Elementary received the distinguished title of an Alabama Reading Initiative Spotlight School receiving recognition from the State Department of Education in 2023 for the following:

Strong leadership, commitment to student-centered coaching
Participation in state-sponsored science of reading training
Use of components of the Alabama Literacy Act, including Student Reading Improvement Plans

Dr. Sampson established many wonderful partnerships and relationships with the Pintlala and Hope Hull communities. She attests that working in a small rural community school was one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.

In May of 2023, Dr. Sampson took the opportunity to return to our beloved Carver Elementary and Arts Magnet School as principal, and she accepted the challenge! Dr. Sampson tells everyone that she learned everything she knows about being an educator from her mother, Mrs. Patricia Kornegay, who sparked her interest in becoming a teacher and, later, a principal.

Finally, Dr. Sampson lives by a quote by C. Hoppe:

"I hope that my achievements in life shall be these--that I will have fought for what was right and fair; that I will have risked for that which mattered; and that I will have given help to those who were in need that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been."

More about Dr. Angela Kornegay Sampson

Angela Kornegay James, “Women of Spirit”

https://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/embed/video/70519860/

MacMillan Becomes the First PYP International Baccalaureate School

https://www.wsfa.com/story/25654469/macmillan-international-becomes-international-baccalaureate-school/

https://www.al.com/news/montgomery/2014/05/macmillan_international_academ.html

Pintlala Elementary Held Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Play Structure

https://www.waka.com/2021/10/21/pintlala-elementary-school-held-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-for-new-play-structure-thanks-to-20000-grant/

Alabama Names 12 Spotlight Schools for Reading Progress

https://www.al.com/news/2023/10/alabama-names-12-spotlight-schools-for-reading-progress.html