Has spent 25 years in JCPS
By Mark Hebert
April 25, 2023 - Dr. Denise Franklin-Williams has been named the new principal at Olmsted Academy North. Williams has been serving as the school’s interim principal since March 20.
“I am excited to be the new principal of Olmsted Academy North (OAN),” Franklin-Williams said. “I believe in the vision of OAN, which calls for preparing young men to become engaged, inspired, and empowered members of their communities.”
Franklin-Williams has spent more than 25 years in JCPS as a high school teacher, middle school dean and assistant principal. She was the principal at Carrithers Middle School for nine years before being asked to take the interim job at Olmsted North.
“The Accelerated Improvement Schools (AIS) office is excited to bring such a talented leader to Olmsted North,” said Dr. Nate Meyer, assistant superintendent for AIS. “Dr. Williams exemplifies the characteristics in a principal the students, staff, and families at Olmsted North deserve. She will not only strengthen Olmsted North but be an invaluable mentor to our other AIS principals as well.”
Franklin-Williams was named JCPS Middle School Principal of the Year in 2018. She won a Verizon Innovative Learning Schools and Digital Promise Technology Award in 2020 for Carrithers’ embrace of technology in the classroom. Franklin-Williams received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Louisville and her principal certification from Western Kentucky University.
“I have high expectations for our young men at OAN,” Franklin-Williams said. “I believe in them and their ability to learn. As a school staff, we want to unlock creativity in our young men by teaching them to become confident in their abilities. We want to challenge them to be their best selves and realize that they can do anything they put their minds to.”