The USD 327 Board of Education has named John Cannon as the Ellsworth Jr/Sr High School Principal for the 2022-2023 school year. Mr. Cannon is currently the Principal of Park Elementary School in Lyons, Kansas. He will begin his new position August 1, 2022.
John Cannon has served as Principal of Park Elementary, a pre-K through second grade school, for the last nine years, building on prior experience as a high school teacher and middle school athletic and activities director. Over the course of his tenure, Park Elementary School transformed into a trauma-responsive school that centers whole-child approaches and 21st century learning as well as a KSDE Redesign school. As a result of this work, the school observed an improved learning climate and a revitalized sense of purpose and joy in teaching. From this work, John's peers nominated him for and was awarded the Kansas State Elementary Principal of the Year for the Kansas Association of Principals. He was also awarded the National Distinguished Principal for Kansas by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. John is a trauma-informed trainer, presenter, and resiliency coach, having trained numerous school districts and thousands of educators across the state. He is obtaining an Ed.D. from Southwestern College and has a masters and bachelor's degree from Emporia State University. John is married to Anna Kepka Cannon, a middle school counselor and they have four children, Ruby, Jack, Pearl and Max. He enjoys golf, reading and cooking and is a Navy veteran.