October 25, 2012 – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools recently announced that Tonya Kales of Ashley Park Pre-K-8 School was named the CMS 2012-2013 Principal of the Year. Earlier this month, she was also named the Project L.I.F.T. Principal of the Year. Project L.I.F.T. is a nonprofit organization working to eliminate educational disparities within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district. In May, a set of schools working with Project L.I.F.T was selected as the first implementation site for Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Initiative. Schools in this innovative zone, including Ashley Park, are receiving intensive design assistance from Public Impact and its partners to begin extending the reach of excellent teachers to more students.