SNOW HILL, N.C. (WNCT) – Dr. Patrick Greene is the principal at Greene Central High School. He was named the 2022 North Carolina Principal of the Year.

On Friday, he’ll be passing the torch along to the next principal, so WNCT sat down with him to hear about the past year.

2023 Wells Fargo NC Principal of the Year announced this Friday

“This year has been really busy,” Greene said. “There’s a lot going on in the world of education with new bills, a lot of post-COVID policies, data coming out about what school looks like and a lot of innovative ideas of what school could be.”

Greene said the honor has been more than just the title.

“You sit on the state Board of Education as an advisor, but I’ve also had the opportunity to sit on the Department of Public Instruction this year with the state superintendent on issues important to them like how schools are graded or how principals are paid,” he said.

He’s also spent time on several committees sharing more about the needs of rural districts. He now plans to use these experiences to implement new ways of learning at Greene Central High School.

“We’re looking at doing more with advanced teaching roles where we take our best and most talented teachers and spread their efforts across multiple classrooms,” Greene said. “Other things we’re looking at is using our student voice to gauge instruction.”

Going into the next year, he’ll still be serving on the North Carolina Board of Education and some other committees, but he’s excited to spend more time at home.

“I’m looking forward to being in my school a little bit more,” Greene said. “I’ve been on the road a lot this year, visiting other schools and meeting other principals, so I’m looking forward to being back in my school and with my people.”

Greene will crown the next principal of the year on Friday in Cary.