Administration

April Dockery is honored to return to the School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville (SILSA) as principal—a place she proudly calls home.

Her career in education began at Asheville High School, where she spent her first years teaching mathematics. She was one of the educators who helped launch SILSA and has been part of the school's story since its earliest days, witnessing firsthand the power of inquiry-based learning and the close-knit community that makes SILSA unique. In 2007, she was selected by her colleagues as SILSA's Teacher of the Year, an honor that remains especially meaningful because it reflects the collaborative spirit, shared commitment to excellence, and lasting relationships she values most.

Over the past 25 years, Ms. Dockery has served Asheville City Schools in a variety of leadership roles, each strengthening her commitment to student success and continuous improvement. She served as Principal of Asheville Middle School, where she was recognized as the 2019 Asheville City Schools Principal of the Year for her work in strengthening school culture, developing staff leadership, and building strong partnerships with families and the community. She also served as Executive Director of K–12 Teaching and Learning, Director of Secondary Curriculum, and most recently as Executive Director of Operations, where she was a member of the Superintendent's Executive Cabinet.

Throughout her leadership career, Ms. Dockery has guided districtwide initiatives in curriculum and instruction, school improvement, safety, communications, crisis management, strategic planning, and organizational leadership. She led Asheville City Schools through some of its most challenging moments—including the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Helene recovery—while helping ensure that students, staff, and families remained supported and connected. These experiences reinforced her belief that strong schools are built on trust, collaboration, thoughtful communication, and a relentless focus on doing what is best for students.

Despite serving in district leadership, Ms. Dockery has always considered herself a school leader at heart. Returning to SILSA is both a professional milestone and a personal homecoming. She believes there is no greater privilege than working alongside students and educators each day to cultivate curiosity, courage, and a love of learning.

As principal, Ms. Dockery is committed to leading with integrity, inquiry, courage, and community. She believes the strongest schools are places where every individual is known, valued, challenged, and inspired. Her leadership is grounded in a simple promise: to see the whole person, listen with curiosity, lead with clarity and trust, foster a culture of belonging, champion ethical innovation and lifelong learning, celebrate growth, and keep students at the center of every decision.
Ms. Dockery earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Warren Wilson College and a Master's in Executive Leadership from Gardner-Webb University. She remains passionate about developing future leaders, creating schools where both students and adults thrive, and preparing young people to lead lives of purpose in a rapidly changing world.

She is excited to partner with SILSA students, families, faculty, alumni, and the Asheville community as the school continues its tradition of excellence while embracing new opportunities for inquiry, innovation, and lifelong learning.

 

 

Stephanie Day is beginning her 16th year as an educator and her 8th year with Asheville City Schools. Prior to serving as the Assistant Principal for SILSA, Mrs. Day led the Alternative Learning Program on the high school campus   for four years beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. Mrs. Day joined the Cougar Family after working in Buncombe   County Schools as an English teacher for seven years and a substitute teacher for one year. While working in   Buncombe County Schools, Mrs. Day served on the English Language Arts Leadership team where she participated in   district level work to align teaching standards across schools and develop curriculum materials for all high school   English teachers. She led both school level and district level professional development on many topics, including   teaching tier 2 vocabulary, improving engagement for male students through the use of research-based best   practices, and using text-dependent common formative assessments to improve English 2 EOC scores. She was   voted department chair by her peers.

Mrs. Day is a graduate of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program and earned a Bachelor's degree in Literature from UNCA in 2010. Mrs. Day earned her principal license and a Master's in Executive Leadership Studies from Gardner-Webb University in 2016. Currently, Mrs. Day is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Western Carolina University. 

Mrs. Day is a North Carolina native who grew up mostly in Robeson County and later in Ashe County. Mrs. Day moved to Asheville in 2006 to attend UNCA. Now Mrs. Day lives in Canton with her husband, two children, dog, and two cats.