Staff

“Carpe Diem” which translates to Seize the Day, is the motto for Dr. Adrian Anthony. He is a native of the Tampa Bay area and is the son of an Air Force veteran and a University of South Florida graduate. Dr. Anthony comes from a lovingly quirky blended family that continues to support him through his educational journey. Additionally, Dr. Anthony has a plethora of educational achievements including a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership (Ed.S.) from National-Louis University and a Masters of Business Administration degree (MBA) from Florida A&M University. Dr. Anthony is a proud graduate of the University of South Florida with a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a cognate in Special Education. Furthermore, Dr. Anthony has maintained a successful teaching career and was honored by Hillsborough County's Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) as the “New Teacher of the Year!” He has had the privilege of being a teacher, graduation coach/dropout prevention specialist, and a school-based assistant principal and principal within multiple settings including elementary school, middle school, high school, and educational center. He also led a 5 million dollar initiative to transform the lowest-performing elementary schools in Florida as a District Title I Coordinator in Pinellas County School District. Dr. Anthony has enjoyed serving the Florida community with Chaire's Masonic Lodge #259 and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Anthony also had the privilege of managing federal governmental policy grants at the United States Department of Education (USDOE) within the Office of Special Education Programs [OSEP] in Washington, D.C., under the Obama administration as a doctoral intern. In addition, he coordinated the Gulf Coast Partnership Principal preparation grant in conjunction with the University of South Florida. Prior to his career in education, he led multiple Fortune 500 initiatives with Nestle-Purina in Barcelona Spain, Armstrong World Industries in Philadelphia, PA, and Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company in Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Anthony loves spending quality time with his wife and "Brady Bunch" family. His goal is to change the world by increasing equitable access for all children through high-quality education and strategic college, career, and life planning!

Tracie Upton is a Lakeland native. Growing up she attended Crystal Lake Elementary, Crystal Lake Middle School, and graduated from Lakeland High School in 1999. She watched her father, grandfather, and grandmother, influence and shape the lives of children. While they focused on middle and high school, Ms. Upton’s calling was elementary education. While being a single mother, she attended school at University of North Florida, and received her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Ed in 2005. She first came to Kathleen Elementary as a Kindergarten intern in 2005. Upon graduation she went on to teach 2nd grade at Wendall Watson in 2006. In the fall of 2006 she was back at Kathleen teaching 1st and 2nd grades from 2006-2010. In 2010 she decided to move into a more administrative role because she recognized she had a gift to find the talents within all and help them achieve their full potential. Ms. Upton leads with a positive appreciative approach that highlights peoples’ strengths. She saw an opportunity to support and influence both teachers and students alike aligning her talents with her passion. She became the Math Coach at Kathleen from 2010-2015. During that time she received her Masters in Educational Leadership at University of South Florida graduating in 2012. In 2015 she went on to become a District math coach supporting 18 different schools over the course of 2 years. In her role she mainly worked with instructional coaches and mathematics teachers in grades K-5. Ms. Upton has also worked for the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas, as a trainer of Common Core State standards for the Department of Defense Education Activity, training military teachers about new math standards. Her most recent position was as Assistant Principal at R. Wagner from 2017-2022, working with 60+ teachers. While serving at Wagner she helped transform the STEM program from a selective one to an inclusive program accessible to all enrolled students. She supported teacher leaders to run a garden and 4-H club even bringing home baby chicks when duty called! This past summer she visited the Beacon of Hope school in Nairobi, Kenya, which focuses on educating the whole child, meeting all their needs including but not limited to education, shelter, food security, and mental health. She is excited to be returning to Kathleen where her teaching career began. She and her daughter, who is a KES and Polk County high school graduate live in North Lakeland. This quote sums up her lifelong passion for teaching and educational approach best, “Love them first, teach them Second.” -Ellen Jones, former Kathleen Elementary Teacher