With 22 years of education leadership, Wall has led North Garner Middle School for the past four years. Prior to this post, he served as assistant principal and principal at Zebulon Middle. He also taught at Carnage Middle and before that, in New York.
Wall was in the running with four other finalists that included Mary Page of Bugg Elementary, Annice Williams of Barwell Road Elementary, Teresa Winstead of Durant Road Elementary and Edward McFarland of Fuquay-Varina High School.
Also up for grabs was the title of 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year which went to Fay Jones of Forest Pines Drive Elementary. Finalists in that category included Melissa Blackmon of Willow Springs Elementary, Lisa Brown of Leesville Road Elementary, Christopher Coby of Wendell Middle and Robert Matheson of Apex High.
The 10 finalists received an acrylic award, and an executive padfolio compliments of Office Depot.
Wall received a $1,000 check compliments of Hunt Ward of Lifetouch Studios as well as a rolling cart filled with miscellaneous office supplies and a HP Deskjet combination printer/scanner/copier compliments of Sonya Reid of Office Depot.
North Garner Middle School received a $500 monetary award compliments of Michael Strawbridge of Strawbridge Studios.
Jones, as 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year, received a $500 check, compliments of Jubal Stagner and Kim Trezona of Jostens, and a rolling cart filled with miscellaneous office supplies and a HP Deskjet combination printer/scanner/copier compliments of Sonya Reid of Office Depot.
Principals and assistant principals are nominated by their peers. Each finalist is required to submit a portfolio, receive a site visit, and is interviewed by a panel of educators and community members.
The ceremony was celebrated with a reception at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. It was sponsored by Pierce Group Benefits, the Wake County Public School System and the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.
Among Wall's beliefs as being an effective principal is creating environments that are challenging for students, supportive of teachers and welcoming to parents to emphasize goal setting and implement strategies that positively impact student success.
“Effective communication and problem solving skills are essential," he said.
Wall also stated that a focus on data is a key toward understanding the needs of students.
“I have created an Academic Intervention Model that provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency on grade level goals and objectives and to complete missing work,” he said. “If students perform poorly on assessments or fail to turn in assignments, they are required to attend a study hall where a certified teacher works with them to ensure competency or work compliance.
"We also created monthly enhancement days to create a structure to re-teach struggling students or to enrich students who mastered the material. These enhancement days revolve around the data collected from common formative assessments in reading and math.”
His colleague, Jennifer Carnes, principal at Wilburn Elementary, said Wall entered the field of education to help students.
"I have witnessed Mr. Wall tutoring students in his office, trying to help them understand concepts with which they are struggling. He also helps students understand and learn from their mistakes,” she said. “John Wall is a strong administrator who does not just talk about helping students, but puts his words into action every day."
Wall was a finalist for Wake County Principal of the Year in 2004; Mentor of the Year by the Helping Hands Program; and served as president of the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.
He is active in his church, First Congregational Church in Raleigh, and in his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
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