Harshbarger named East Core Principal of the Year
Norris Middle School Principal Jeff Harshbarger with a suit of armor presented to him by the school.
Before receiving the East Core honor, Jeff was chosen as Anderson County Principal of the Year in March of 2017 by his fellow ACS administrators. To honor their principal and his selection as principal of the year, the students and staff of Norris Middle School planned and executed a surprise assembly in the gymnasium.
Over 500 students cheered and celebrated as members of the NJHS shared quotes as to why Harshbarger was their “knight in shining armor” and the school presented him with a suit of armor trophy. Not only was Harshbarger surprised, but for the first time ever, he was speechless.
A lifelong resident of Anderson County, Harshbarger was in the first class to go all the way through Anderson County High School. After receiving his bachelor of science in biology with a teaching license in life, physical, and environmental sciences at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, he continued his post-secondary education by completing his Masters in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in 1997. He furthered his education again in 2013 by receiving his EDS in Curriculum and Instruction also from LMU.
Harshbarger began his educational career at Norris Middle School as a seventh grade science teacher in 1990 where he received NMS Teacher of the Year and Anderson County Teacher of the Year honors in 1996.
After 13 years at NMS, he moved to ACHS where he taught Honors Biology, Bio-Tech, and Honors Biology 2. Harshbarger transitioned into an administrative role in 2005 when he was named assistant principal at Claxton Elementary School.
After spending two wonderful years at Claxton, he left the Claxton Cougars for a return to Norris Middle as interim principal in September 2007 and was named “official” principal in the spring of 2008.
Harshbarger and his wife Jenny are raising two boys in Norris.
Jenny is a stay at home mom and member of the Knoxville Choral Society. Their eldest son, Nicholas, is an eighth grade student at NMS and is active in academic competition clubs such as TSA and Science Bowl as well as being a member of the National Junior Honor Society and the NMS Band.
The Harshbarger’s other son, Eddie, is a fifth grade student at Norris Elementary School. Eddie loves math, Harry Potter and especially space science.
He is also a member of the Anderson County Rock Climbing Team and plays keeper for his AYSO soccer team.
Harshbarger’s passions include his church, biking, reading, travel, and just spending time outside. He is a member of Norris United Methodist Church where he is a long-time member of the choir and the lay leader. Harshbarger also sings in an acapella group called “The Back Row Boys” which performs at area churches and events like the Appalachian Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia.
As part of his dedication to his faith, he and his family travelled to Latvia last summer on a mission trip and also visited Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland.
Harshbarger is a cyclist who enjoys long trips on his touring bicycle including a 4,000-mile cross-country trip in 2003 and has recently taken up mountain biking. He and his family love to travel to new places, share their love of reading, and explore the great outdoors.
Harshbarger also enjoys the sport of volleyball as a player on the University of Tennessee Club Team and as the coach of the ACHS Volleyball team from 1991-2005 where he helped the team reach the state tournament 11 times and brought home Anderson County’s first ever state championship in any sport in 1999. He currently helps coach the NMS volleyball team who won the district and sectional tournaments this past fall.
He loves his job at NMS and credits the terrific students, teachers, and staff for any success he has.
Harshbarger regularly encourages reading in his school by instigating a “nine books in nine weeks” reading challenge and holding daily book drawings where he talks to individual students about books they have recently read.
He has a staff at NMS that puts students first and daily expresses the drive to ensure that “every student” succeeds “every day.” Harshbarger is honored to be chosen as East Core Principal of the Year.