Jennifer Halter, Ed.D.

Dr. Jen Halter is the Principal at Clay High School. She is the 2021 Clay County Principal of the Year and the 2021 Florida Principal of the Year, and the AASA Women in Leadership Award Semi-Finalist in 2025. Dr. Halter is a twenty-one-year educator who began her career teaching eighth-grade students English. She was promoted to Assistant Principal at Green Cove Springs Junior High, where two years later became Principal and served in that role for six years. In those six years, GCJ has increased in school grade from a 64% to a 70% A, become a School of Excellence, a Best and Brightest School, and earned a PBIS Gold Award. She then was promoted to Principal of Clay High in 2021 and is in her fith year at the school. In that time, she was worked to raise student achievement in reading, math, science, and industry certifications. In her tenure as Principal of Clay High she has worked with her team to raise achievement in all areas, and is closing achievement gaps in all areas. In 2023, Clay High had the highest learning gains and lower quartile learning gains in reading in the history of Clay High. In 2024, Clay High earned an A-rating for school grade which had not been reached since 2015.

Dr. Halter serves as the representative for all secondary school principals at the state and national level through the Florida Association of School Administrators and the National Association of Secondary School Administrators advocating for all public school leaders, teachers, and students. She earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at the University of North Florida. She leads professional learning across the state to educational leaders on leadership, high-impact strategies, and how to have crucial conversations. She is also a member of Leadership Florida Education Class 6, AASA, and serves on the Teaching and Learning board for the University of North Florida.