As principal of Carolina Community Academy, Daniel Watson (’18 M.S.A.) brings heart, strategy, and a commitment to community. That approach has led to success for the innovative K–2 lab school in Roxboro, North Carolina, which has been a partnership between UNC-Chapel Hill and Person County Schools since 2022.
At CCA, Watson continues to elevate student and staff success through a relationship-centered approach. Under his leadership, the school has improved summer learning retention and strengthened outcomes through strategic use of teaching assistants and expanded student supports.
During the 2024-25 academic year, CCA recorded end-of-year proficiency rates of 78% in literacy and 77% in math, outpacing historical averages, CCA also marked a milestone moment as the school’s first class of second graders, the same students who walked through CCA’s doors in August 2022, graduated and transitioned to North End Elementary with a strong foundation for future success.
A native of Person County, Watson spent more than a decade shaping classrooms and communities across the Alamance-Burlington School System before returning home to lead Carolina Community Academy in 2023. After earning his Master of School Administration degree from the UNC School of Education in 2018, Watson was named assistant principal of E.M. Yoder Elementary in Mebane, where he helped the school earn a B grade on the North Carolina School Report Card, and later as principal of Pleasant Grove Elementary in Burlington, where the school achieved its highest-ever EVAAS growth and was removed from the state watch list.
In the following Q&A, Watson reflects on his journey in education, the lessons that shaped his leadership, and the collaborative spirit driving success at Carolina Community Academy.
What inspired you to become a principal, and how has your time at Carolina Community Academy shaped your leadership?
I was inspired to pursue administration during my time as a classroom teacher. Will Price (’16 M.S.A.), a UNC alumnus, was completing his internship at the school where I was teaching and serving as athletic director. He saw leadership potential in me and encouraged me to apply for the MSA program.
Also, a UNC alumna, was my mentor principal and played a pivotal role in shaping my understanding of elementary instruction — especially literacy. My own experiences as both a student and a teacher helped me realize that not all students have an advocate. I wanted to become a voice for those who need one most.
I never imagined my path would lead me back to my hometown, but it is truly an honor, not only to lead a school, but to do so in the small community where I was raised, with the full support of the University that helped shape me.
CCA’s Beginning of Year (BOY) numbers are the highest they’ve ever been. What strategies led to this success, and what does it say about your school community?
A school’s success, or failure, never rests in the hands of a single person or decision-maker. When I arrived at CCA, I leaned into the guidance and training I had received from mentors, professors, and researchers like John Hattie, whose work on effect sizes deeply influenced my thinking. Stan Schainker, Ed.D., a former clinical associate professor at the UNC School of Education, always said, “Don’t waste a year as principal watching what’s happening. Make a move quickly.” So, on day one, I observed, and on day two, I called a staff meeting to completely restructure our master schedule.
I was blessed to have a staff that was eager to meet the needs of students and bought into my leadership from the very beginning. Since that day, we’ve consistently monitored our practices and made instructional shifts to better serve our students.
Our success is not mine alone. It belongs to the entire CCA community. We cannot teach without great teachers, we cannot learn without great students, and we cannot grow without a great community. Success is in the hands of every person who calls CCA home.
Person County Schools recently adopted a curriculum that CCA used first. What did you learn from implementing it, and how has sharing those lessons strengthened your partnership?
I was fortunate to meet with Joseph Warren, executive director for elementary education, school improvement, and federal programs at Person County Schools. I was also privileged to share feedback with a leader who had an open ear to the growth we were seeing at our school. Since their implementation began, I’ve been invited to participate in professional development sessions with PCS principals and learn alongside their administrators.
They are in their first year of implementation, while we are in our second. I’m excited to see the outcomes for students over the next few years as we continue to grow together.
From strategically utilizing teaching assistants to expanding the resource room and food pantry, CCA continues to find creative ways to serve families. What is a memorable moment that illustrates the impact of these supports on your school community?
We have an amazing student support team! Though it’s a team of just two — Joshua Serrano Otero, our school counselor, and ZaMaiyah Freeman, our social worker — they are constantly looking for ways to meet the needs of our students. Every Monday, they cover all recess duties for teachers just so they can check in with students and see how their weekends went. They also secure so many donations that I’d lose track if I tried to name them all.
If I had to highlight one story, I’d actually point to two. The first is a huge shout-out to the Office of University Development at Carolina. They organized a school drive for us and specifically focused on the need for jackets, since most of the school year falls during the colder months. Their generous donations provided jackets for over 50% of our student body, which was a tremendous relief for many families.
The second story comes from last academic year. The donor asked to remain anonymous, but in the rural parts of the state, Christmas holds deep significance. This individual donated gifts for every single child in the school. We don’t always know what the two weeks of winter break look like for each student, but we do know that last December, every child left smiling from ear to ear.
CCA’s mission is “every child, every day.” Looking ahead, how do you envision building on this momentum to ensure each learner reaches their fullest potential in school and beyond?
“Every child, every day” began as a concept and has morphed into a lifestyle. We are constantly reflecting on our practices and approaches to each child’s learning. We want to create an environment where students at CCA truly have personalized learning, and their outcomes reflect that personalization.
Our strong instructional practices have yielded great results of 78% proficiency in reading and 77% in math, but the job isn’t complete. This year, we have an entirely new group of kids who also deserve to be as successful as the cohorts before them. I remind myself and our staff that we can’t rest on our success, because these kids deserve it also.