“Dr. Ashton inspires others to live up to their potential—children, staff, and other principals. She is a talent scout and brings out the best in others. She always brings a tenacious spirit and Burnt Mills pride to any AIM action.” —Tanushree Dutta Isaacman, AIM Lead Organizer

“Dr. Ashton has the heart of an organizer. She cares deeply about people in the community, she sees the problems, and she works hard to build the power to get them fixed.”—Cynthia Marshall, AIM Executive Director

“What makes Dr. Ashton a great principal is that she encourages success and she continues to build a strong school community, all while leading with strength, fairness, and empathy.” —Lea Yango, Former Burnt Mills Student

Dr. Stacy Ashton is an extraordinary principal who has been organizing with AIM for more than a decade. She goes above and beyond to ensure her students thrive, fostering a school culture grounded in care, understanding, and community. As she often tells her staff, “When we enroll a student, we enroll the whole family.” She recognizes that children learn best when their families’ needs—from housing to healthcare—are met, and she has built strong teams of teachers, staff, and parents whose commitment has strengthened not only Burnt Mills but also the wider community.

Dr. Ashton’s partnership with AIM began in 2014, when Burnt Mills piloted the Excel Beyond the Bell afterschool program. Since then, she has organized her community to secure high-quality afterschool programming, a new school building, and vital resources for families. In 2015, she organized more than 350 Burnt Mills parents, students, and staff to attend an AIM action that successfully won Excel Beyond the Bell for the school.

She then led efforts to secure more than $70 million to fully rebuild Burnt Mills—alongside South Lake Elementary—replacing a building plagued by toxic mold, overcrowded trailers, and a cafeteria so small that students had to eat lunch as early as 10 am and as late as 2 pm. Thanks to the community’s efforts led by Dr. Ashton and AIM, Burnt Mills students now learn in a beautiful, state-of-the-art school building.

Dr. Ashton’s commitment extends beyond the school walls. She has supported organizing efforts at the Enclave Apartments, where many Burnt Mills families live, and in recent years she has worked with AIM to win additional resources for the large number of refugee and immigrant families in her school community. In 2025, these efforts led to new county funding for a Linkages to Learning program at Burnt Mills, providing a therapist and caseworker to meet families’ needs.

AIM proudly honors Dr. Ashton for her visionary leadership, her steadfast solidarity with families, and her transformative impact on the lives of hundreds of children.

Reflection from Dr. Ashton:

“Through AIM, I’ve seen the power of organized voices to win tangible improvements for students and families. I’ve learned how powerful it is when we, parents and educators, come together for one common goal, which is our children. 

When I became principal, there were three things I wanted for Burnt Mills: a new school building, Linkages to Learning, and to be a community school, where we could provide after-school programs for our students. I’m happy to say that all three things have come to fruition, thanks to our work with AIM. AIM is about action, getting results, not giving up, and not backing down.”