SELMA — After 22 years in education, Logan Cowart’s career led her back to her roots.

Cowart began as a teacher at CHAT and now is the new principal of the school.

“I love the school,” Cowart said. “It’s where I started and I’m coming home.”

As principal, she plans to improve the writing skills of students and increase student use of the school’s technology.

“Our name stands for communication, humanities, arts and technology, and those are the very things I want to focus on now at the school,” Cowart said.

Beyond the curriculum, she also plans to firmly enforce the policies of the school, a lesson she learned from creating a structured environment at the elementary level as former principal of Cedar Park Elementary.

“Some of the rules and procedures that you develop in the elementary sometimes go by the wayside, and I’d like to bring that back,” Cowart said.  “They are still children and they still need rules.”

By enforcing the policies, she wants to create a safe and nurturing environment for students though positive relationship with the teachers and staff.

“When [students] get in middle and high school, we forget how important that relationship is, and I want to bring that back to middle school,” Cowart said. “I want to encourage the positive relationships that should be occurring between the students and the teachers, the students and me, and all of us with the parents. We need to be seen as part of a team. We are all together and we need to be focusing on what we can do in a positive manner.”

Although school has not started for the year yet, Cowart will do well at CHAT, said Patricia Tatum, bookkeeper at CHAT.

“She loves the kids and they love her, at least I know mine do,” Tatum said.

Tatum’s grandchildren attend Cedar Park Elementary, where Cowart was principal until this summer when she was transferred to CHAT.

Cowart began as principal on July 1.