Dr. Adam Douglas Named Principal at West Carroll Junior Senior High

Dr. Adam Douglas is the new principal at West Carroll Junior Senior High School.

Douglas received the news on the last day of July and hit the ground running as the return of students was quickly approaching.

He is a 2012 graduate of McKenzie High School and a 2017 graduate of Bethel University. He achieved his Masters at Union University in 2020 and his doctorate (in Educational Leadership) in 2024 from ETSU.

“It all kind of lined up,” he told The Banner. “One of the biggest things I’m very thankful for is, I graduated in Carroll County, got a degree in Carroll County and now I’m serving Carroll County.”

This is his seventh year at West Carroll. He was an aide in Huntingdon, then taught English in Humboldt before his arrival. He taught at his current post for three years before serving as assistant principal for the last three.

Douglas turns 30 this week. “I know I’m young. There’s not a lot of people where I am at right now. I’m really blessed. And I have a great support system and a great staff.”

He noted the truncated time frame he faced to implement his vision as principal. “Usually when you get in these positions you have a 30-, 60-, 90-day, year plan. Well I didn’t have that luxury, so I skipped all that [and went with a 100-day plan].”

“My biggest thing is creating the culture and the expectations. Getting test scores where they need to be. Getting people where they need to be. Developing relationships. Making sure our school is safe… Being really purposeful in everything we do. A culture of ‘we over me’.”

He said he wants to turn West Carroll into “a powerhouse in academics and all the other stuff.”

He asked, “Why not us? I think we have to start slowly and make sure the foundation is set. We’re here to teach the children, make sure they become good citizens in the community.”

He identified his biggest goal: become a Level 5 school again. “I want to get back on the map of academics.”

Another goal is to let the students have a voice. “I’ve created a leadership council with my top teachers, and one of them is spearheading a student council.” He plans to have lunches with the council to hear them and to have them attend board meetings to see how policy that affects them is made.

He credits his late grandfather, Sigfried Dietz, a professor at UT Knoxville, with instilling education in him and making him want to be an educator.

Douglas resides in Huntingdon with wife, Kelly, and daughter, Sofia, who turns two this week. Kelly is a physician assistant with Evans Clinic who makes rounds to schools in the county to serve both students and staff.