Liberty Middle School has a new addition to their staff. Mrs. Melissa Edwards has joined the Liberty family once again. After growing up in Edwardsville, going through District 7, attending SIUE, and going on to teach all different grade levels, she has come back to her roots to become Liberty Middle School’s new principal.
She started her career by teaching 8th grade math in Alton. After getting her master’s in administration, she became a Vice Principal at Alton High School. In this position, she enjoyed planning the graduation ceremony and working with students who had just come out of juvenile detention. Helping students graduate on time was a highlight of her career. Along with this, she loved working in the guidance department and helping students figure out what classes they needed to take in order to graduate.
After being at Alton High School for 7 years, she transitioned to Liberty Middle School as an Assistant Principal in 2020. She was only there for a short time before moving to N.O. Nelson Elementary School. She was waiting in line for Space Mountain at Disney World when she got the call that she was going to be the principal at Nelson.
While she loved being with the little kids at Nelson, she missed the fast pace that middle school provides. She returned to Liberty as principal for the 24-25 school year.
Already this year, she has handled a water main break, a surprise intruder drill, loud roof construction, and some electricity issues. Her quick thinking and problem-solving abilities have allowed her to lead through these moments with excellence.
A principal’s job is always changing and full of surprises. Mrs. Edwards seems to thrive in this middle school environment. In fact, it’s one of her favorite places to be. Mrs. Edwards has loved all her jobs in the past, but says that, “Middle school is where my heart is.”
