Shelly Powell

Cahn Fellow 2019

Principal, Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School

Atlanta, Georgia

Shelly Powell has served as principal of Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School since 2012. As a passionate advocate for education, Shelly views it as key to unlocking unprecedented opportunities for scholars. Having earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Tuskegee University, Shelly has served as an elementary and high school teacher, a Small Schools Implementation Specialist and a Model Teacher Leader for Atlanta Public Schools. Shelly and her team have implemented several academic initiatives including Early College and Social-Emotional Learning on the Therrell campus. Under her leadership, the graduation rate increased from 49% in 2012 to 86.4 in 2018. Most recently, Therrell High School received authorization as an International Baccalaureate World School. Ms. Powell has presented at several national conferences on high school redesign efforts including the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development at the University of Nevada and Education Northwest in San Diego, California.