Dr. Janet Campbell with one of her students
Dr. Janet Campbell easily gets in over 25,000 steps a day, which is more than 11 miles. But she isn’t getting those steps in from running 10Ks or half marathons.
Dr. Campbell, who’s been the principal at Annie Burnside Elementary School for six years, doesn’t spend her days sitting in her office. She’s always moving from hallway to hallway and classroom to classroom with a standing desk by her side she considers her true office. Even when she’s visiting classrooms, she’s stepping in place as she talks to the students. Sometimes, the students will step in place with her.
Dr. Campbell says the steps she takes every day encourages her students and staff to be healthy. “If we keep our heart healthy, we’ll in turn continue to grow academically,” she said.
Not only are the steps keeping her healthy, but they’re also helping keep Dr. Campbell visible to her students and staff.
“I’m in the classrooms from the time I get here to the time I leave. I can’t be a support for our staff or students if they never see me,” she said.
Dr. Campbell also stays visible by learning lessons along with the students. For example, in one fifth-grade class, the students are doing an ELA (English language arts) unit about Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. During the lesson, Dr. Campbell asked for a copy of the book to read herself.
“Our staff is so prolific and knowledgeable there are times when I’m raising my hand trying to answer a question or get clarity about what they’re teaching. The math and ELA the students are learning is different from how I was learning it when I was a little girl,” she said.
Dr. Campbell is not only a product of Richland One, but her mother was a kindergarten and prekindergarten teacher at Hyatt Park Elementary School for more than 20 years. Dr. Campbell says her mother encouraged her when she was child to pursue a career in education.
“I just had that passion for helping children grow socially, mentally, and emotionally,” she said.
Dr. Campbell attended Crane Creek Elementary School and Alcorn Middle School before graduating from Eau Claire High School in 1990.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Johnson C. Smith University and her master’s degree from South Carolina State University, Dr. Campbell worked as a school counselor in the Darlington County School District for one year.
She started her professional career in Richland One in 1998 as a school counselor at Bradley Elementary School, working there for 14 years. Dr. Campbell then served as an assistant principal at Brennen Elementary School for six years. She says her background as a school counselor benefited her when she made the transition to administration.
“I had that therapeutic background, that listening ear, and helped students change mindsets. I felt like those skills I had really helped me with being an administrator,” said Dr. Campbell.
When it was time for Dr. Campbell to take the leap and become a principal, she said the time she worked under Brennen’s then-principal prepared her.
“I believe moving from assistant principal to principal was not that hard with all the support I had,” said Dr. Campbell.
Despite starting at Burnside in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Campbell says the staff and community welcomed her with open arms.
“I noticed from day one that this school was such a family. I wanted to continue cultivating that family,” she said. “Our team and I have cultivated such a family oriented atmosphere where our students can thrive, grow, and strive.”
Since becoming principal, Dr. Campbell says her students have been able to grow not just academically, but also mentally and socially. One life lesson she says the older students learn about is accountability. As the students learn about accountability, Dr. Campbell says they hold her accountable for her health.
“Sometimes, the students will ask me ‘Dr. Campbell, did you drink your water?’ or say ‘Dr. Campbell, I don’t see you stepping.’ I, in turn, ask them about their goals,” she said.
Dr. Campbell says the mental health of her staff is just as important for her to check on as their physical health. She says she’ll often share ways her staff can relax and be balanced.
“I want our staff to be okay for their families. I want them to have some energy and mental space left for their families and for themselves. I make sure Burnside is a safe and nurturing place for our staff,” said Dr. Campbell.
In return, Dr. Campbell says her staff is making sure to support her every day. She says the staff especially supported her while she was working towards her doctorate, which she earned from South Carolina State in 2023.
“My staff was asking me ‘What chapter are you on?’ and ‘How can I take something off of your plate?’ The staff does it all the time. They really pour into me,” said Dr. Campbell.
She says the most memorable moments for her as principal are when she’s stepping through the halls with her standing desk, going from classroom to classroom, and hearing staff members ask her how she’s doing and what they can do to help her.
The staff and students know every step Dr. Campbell takes in a hallway or classroom lets them know they matter.
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