Alicia Leach has been an educator for 22 years, but this year marks her first as a principal and her first working at the elementary level.
Leach is married to her husband, Craig, and they have a 14-year-old son, Eli. She described her family as one that likes “to have adventures,” adding that she likes “to hear about things and then do them.”
Leach also highlighted the support of her mother-in-law, Patricia Leach.
“She’s the reason I can be an educator,” Leach expressed.
Leach graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2004 and began her career in education as a lateral-entry teacher, a designation she noted has since changed. She taught speech, debate and theater at the middle school level in Cumberland County. When that program dissolved, her principal at the time offered her the opportunity to teach language arts.
Leach spent several years as a middle school language arts teacher in Cumberland County before teaching at Sampson Middle and later Roseboro-Salemburg Middle.
While at Roseboro-Salemburg, she began training under Sheila Peterson with the goal of moving from the classroom into administration.
When asked about her experience working with the Salemburg Elementary principal, Clinton City Schools Executive Director of Human Capital Sheila Peterson stated: “I am extremely proud of Mrs. Alicia Leach and her accomplishments. She was my Principal Intern and ELA teacher at Roseboro Salemburg Middle School. Mrs. Leach has been an exceptional ELA teacher who has consistently demonstrated her commitment to students, academic excellence, and the success of our school community. This opportunity is a wonderful next step in her leadership journey.”
Peterson added that she looks forward to seeing the “innovative ideas, positive leadership, and meaningful practices (Leach) will implement to support both students and staff.”
Leach reflected fondly on her years in the classroom, noting that she spent the most time teaching seventh grade, which she described as her “absolute favorite,” and was grateful for the administrative opportunities given to her at Roseboro-Salemburg that propelled her administrative journey.
Her first administrative position came at Hobbton Middle, where she served as assistant principal for eight years. She then spent two years as assistant principal at Lakewood High before moving to the elementary level this year as principal of Salemburg Elementary.
Leach has established a vision for her first year around three words: “listen, learn and lead.”
She plans to listen to teachers, students and parents, learn what Salemburg Elementary needs and lead efforts to address those needs.
Leach expressed excitement about seeing the foundations of education at the elementary level after spending her career with older students. She pointed to visiting kindergarten classrooms and observing the beginnings of learning and how each grade level builds upon that foundation.
She also highlighted the transition in third grade from “learning to read to reading to learn” as another part of elementary education she is getting to observe for the first time.
“It’s a different vibe,” Leach described while comparing elementary school with the middle and high school levels.
Leach said the elementary level also has a different pace. Unlike her time at the middle and high school levels, there are fewer after-school athletic events that require administrators to remain on campus late into the evening, allowing her to focus more of her attention on the school day.
As principal, Leach identified visibility, communication and instruction among her priorities.
“I love being in the community, working with adults and children,” Leach said of being an administrator.
She has also taken notice of what younger students are capable of doing.
“They get it,” Leach said of elementary students’ ability to follow instructions.
Another difference she has noticed is the absence of bells throughout most of the school day.
“There is a bell at the beginning of the school day and another at the end, but in between, the building moves to its own rhythm of teaching, learning, and growing,” Leach explained.
She has also enjoyed some of the sights that come with the beginning of a school day at the elementary level.
“I have also enjoyed seeing the big bows, fresh haircuts, new shoes, and the excitement our students bring to school each morning,” Leach shared. “Those are some of the little things that begin to fade as students move into the upper grades, and I have found a new appreciation for seeing education through the eyes of our youngest learners.”
After working at the middle and high school levels, Leach said her new position has given her an opportunity to see another stage of a student’s education.
“One of the greatest blessings of my career is that I have had the opportunity to experience education from beginning to end — from elementary school through high school,” Leach expressed. “After spending many years working with middle and high school students, I now have the privilege of seeing where the educational journey begins.
“It has given me an even greater appreciation for the work educators do at every level and for the growth that takes place between a child’s first years of school and the day they walk across the stage at graduation.”
Leach described the Lakewood district as being rooted in tradition and community and expressed pride in being part of it as an educator.
Her vision for Salemburg Elementary is for every child to be known, supported and challenged. Leach said her experience at multiple schools throughout her career, each of which she described as “its own community,” has provided perspective she can bring to her new position during the 2026-27 school year and beyond.