Pasco County Schools has named JoAnne Glenn to be the first principal at Angeline Academy of Innovation, a new 6-12 magnet school being built in an emerging community in Central Pasco.
Glenn, principal of Pasco eSchool and Angeline Academy of Innovation, has won both district and national honors for her work.
Glenn was named Pasco County Schools’ Principal of the Year in 2019 and was named the 2020 Digital Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
The new 6-12 school will be near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County campus, which is in the heart of Angeline, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.
The $52.7-million magnet school is expected to have strong partnerships with both Moffitt and with Pasco-Hernando State College.
In an email to The Laker/Lutz News, she explained her interest in the new position and expressed enthusiasm for what the new school will offer students.
As a mathematics teacher “and self-admitted nerd,” Glenn said, “I love helping students become confident in exploring and strengthening their understanding of these topics.”
She believes that “children are born to be scientists, and they learn through exploration and experience.”
She also noted that she’s worked for the last 14 years to build the district’s virtual school and to challenge the status quo of more traditional education models.
“Having the opportunity to build a school that incorporates hybrid experiences and strong partnerships with families and our community brings all of my favorite aspects of education into one school,” Glenn said.
She’s excited about the potential offered by Angeline Academy of Innovation, which is set to open in August 2023.
“Angeline Academy of Innovation is on a mission to challenge the ways we use time and space to offer students more agency and control over their path and pace for chasing their dreams,” Glenn said.
“Because Pasco eSchool will also be housed at Angeline Academy of Innovation, students will have a continuum of learning experiences and can move between on-campus, job-embedded, and online learning experiences supported by a cadre of educators and professionals with high levels of expertise,” Glenn said.
She’s also enthused about new opportunities that will be presented to students.
“I’m excited about some of the early commitments to establish strong partnerships with local businesses, a successful local charter school, and postsecondary institutions. Our students will learn alongside engineers, IT professionals, scientists, medical professionals, and more. With access to world-class facilities, and a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, Angeline Academy of Innovation will allow students an environment that is designed to launch secondary students into relevant career fields, equipped with certifications and expertise,” she said.
As an example, the school will offer engineering, cybersecurity, biodesign, and an entrepreneurship incubator, Glenn said.
As Glenn moves into her new post, the school district is searching for a new principal to lead Pasco eSchool.
Published October 26, 2022
