A big step for this principal

Principal Michelle Cino poses for a photo in her office at Ocala Springs Elementary School in Ocala on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Ocala Springs Elementary Principal Michelle Cino has been named Marion County’s 2024 Principal of the Year. 

“What an honor it was to be recognized for that and to really represent my school and everybody in Marion County who works so hard to protect and engage in the learning of students,” Cino said.

District spokesperson Kevin Christian said the award winner is the candidate who has the highest leadership characteristic rubric score and essay score combined as tallied by a district committee. A school supervisor scores the candidate, and the essay portion is written by the nominee after peer nomination. 

Cino received a leadership score of 28 and an essay score of 36 for a combined 64. Part of her essay response that the district provided read, “I wake up each morning knowing that I am privileged to lead amazing students of varying exceptionalities and talents, 80 educators with passion to make the biggest difference with our students, custodians, and cafeteria workers that take pride in our campus, and countless family members who trust me to lead their children to success every day.” 

Superintendent Gullett and other educators visited Cino with flowers and a trophy to honor her as the award winner. 

Cino said she was a “later in life” educator. After earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at 27, Cino said she thought she would fit into the human resources corporate career world, but “I really missed working with children,” she said. 

She knew she wanted to make a difference in children’s lives, so she worked toward the degree at night while simultaneously having a full-time job. 

“Once I started teaching, I really not only loved the teaching aspect but also the professional development aspect of it as well, and wanted to get everybody excited about teaching students,” Cino said. 

To ensure that development, she earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and became a reading coach, providing modeling, support, and resources to other educators. 

Christian said Cino has been with Marion County Public Schools for 22 years and has taught at, “Reddick-Collier, Sparr, and Evergreen elementary schools before being named assistant principal at Legacy, Anthony, and Wyomina Park elementary schools.”

Her current, and first, principal position is at Ocala Springs Elementary, where she started in January 2019. She came in after the school year had already begun, went through classrooms, built relationships, and learned how to grow the school and make a difference. 

“Our motto here at Ocala Springs is, ‘Small paws can take big steps,’ so hopefully that is what we are doing for students every day,” Cino said.

Cino said being an educator was not always her dream. But growing up the oldest of five children, she wanted to make education positive for her siblings and for other kids. As she got older and was volunteering at church, she said, “That’s when I knew I wanted to be an educator and spend my days with children and adults I knew cared about making a difference in their lives.” 

Through winning this award, Cino will now represent MCPS at the state-level competition among other succeeding principals. 

“I’ve just been very blessed to follow this dream and hopefully get more and more people excited and engaged in helping our children,” she said.