Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.
The Homewood Board of Education approved the appointment of Ashley McCullars as the new Edgewood Elementary School Principal beginning July 1.
Ashley McCullars, a lifelong Homewood resident and longtime educator at Edgewood Elementary School, has been named the school’s next principal.
She will officially step into the role on July 1, bringing nearly two decades of experience in education and a deep connection to the school community.
McCullars has spent her entire career at Edgewood. She began teaching first grade there in 2007 and continued for 14 years before transitioning into her current role as assistant principal of curriculum and instruction. Her promotion to principal comes after years of academic leadership and a strong emphasis on instructional growth and student development.
“I love that I know this place so well,” McCullars said. “I've been so privileged to be here my whole career. You know everybody, both professionally and personally, so it's great to hit the ground running knowing kind of what our needs are and where everybody is.”
A graduate of Homewood High School, McCullars attended Hall-Kent Elementary and later earned her undergraduate degree in early childhood and elementary education, followed by a master’s degree in teaching English language from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She later completed her administrative certification through the University of West Alabama and is currently pursuing her educational specialist degree in leadership at Samford University.
Her journey into education was sparked by a lifelong love of working with children. “Probably at the age of 13 to 14, I started babysitting and just absolutely loved it,” McCullars said. “I knew when I graduated high school — I was kind of torn actually, between nursing and education. … I actually declared nursing my freshman year, but very quickly knew that was not where I wanted to be. I wanted to be with kids and taking care of children instead.”
As a teacher, McCullars found joy in building relationships with students and watching them grow, particularly during the pivotal years of early reading development. “It's absolutely incredible to watch what can happen in nine short months for development and growth, and with young kids, it's really neat,” she said. “First grade in particular is such a pivotal time for kids learning how to read. And it is not an easy feat to teach children how to read.”
As principal, McCullars plans to build on that foundation while expanding her role from academic leadership to include broader responsibilities such as personnel management, campus logistics and overall school operations.
One of her top priorities is continuing to develop Edgewood’s core values of respect, integrity and kindness — a schoolwide initiative created with input from students, staff and parents. The school is also participating in a multi-year program with Samford University’s Hope Institute to embed those values deeply into daily life through leadership training and community engagement.
McCullars said she’s especially excited to lead a school that has fostered such an uplifting environment. “We've got a really great positive culture and climate here for students and for faculty and staff,” she said. “I'm excited to see that continue to grow.”
Her tenure officially begins July 1, but she expects to begin preparations as soon as summer starts.
