Monica Blasingame | Learning Facilitator & Leadership Coach

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Monica Blasingame is the Principal of McDonough High School in McDonough, Georgia, where she has proudly served for the past three years. Now in her 22nd year in education, Monica has built a career rooted in equity, excellence, and service to students. Prior to leading McDonough High, she served as principal of a metro Atlanta middle school for two years, following earlier roles as an assistant principal, special education lead teacher, and district compliance specialist. Her background spans K–12 settings, and she began her career as a special education teacher—an experience that continues to ground her belief in inclusive, student-centered practices.

 

Over the span of her career, Monica has served in three major metro Atlanta school districts and worked with students and families from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. She has been instrumental in supporting school turnaround efforts, consistently resulting in double-digit academic gains across multiple schools. Her greatest passion, however, lies in leading schools that are often marginalized and under-resourced—where the need is great, but so is the potential.

 

In addition to her role as a high school principal, Monica actively contributes to the development of other leaders. She serves as a Cluster Lead Principal and Principal Mentor in Henry County Schools and currently coaches over 20 school leaders as an Advisor with Relay Graduate School of Education. She is a member of the Relay Leverage Leadership Advisory Team and the HCS Special Education Advisory Committee, and she is a proud alumna of the Relay Leverage Leadership Institute (Cohort 9). Monica was also named an APS Equity Champion in 2022–2023 for her commitment to ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction and opportunity.

Monica brings a collaborative, data-informed approach to leadership and is known for building strong school cultures, raising expectations, and empowering teams to do the hard and necessary work of school transformation. She looks forward to working alongside fellow leaders to support student success and drive lasting, meaningful change.

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