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questions ... ... WITH KRISTEN BREEDLOVE, PERRY HARRISON ELEMENTARY’S NEW PRINCIPAL BY LIZA SMITH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
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risten Breedlove is a Chatham County native who’s come full circle in her educational career. She began working as a teacher with Lee County Schools before moving to J.S. Waters School to teach second through sixth grades. Most recently, Kristen served as assistant principal at Siler City Elementary and stepped into the role of principal at Perry Harrison Elementary this year. Kristen, herself a product of Chatham County Schools, was once a Pittsboro Elementary School Panda, a Horton Middle School Wildcat and a Northwood High School Charger. She’s married to Mike Breedlove, director of the Chatham Habitat for Humanity ReStores, and they have two children – Skylar, 15, who attends Chatham Early College, and Hunter, 10, who attends J.S. Waters School – as well as three pets, a dog named Fletcher and two cats – Nala and Pepper. When she’s not at school, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family and watching TV with her husband. Kristen attributes much of her inspiration and motivation for being where she is today to her single mother, Patricia Farrell Batchelor. “A lot of kids out there have single parents, and they need to know that they can do amazing things,” Kristen says.
What inspired you to pursue a career in education, especially in the very same school district where you were once a student yourself?
I want to be the engaging person for kids that I needed when I was a student; someone who gets people excited about learning. I vividly recall Mr. Cottrell, my band teacher at Northwood, who saw potential in me, and Mrs. Karstadt, my second-grade teacher at Pittsboro 96
CHATHAM MAGAZINE
Kristen draws from her own experience as a student in Chatham County Schools to impart the same positive impact on her school.
WINTER 2023-2024