Dr. Junlan Li brings over 25 years of leadership, administrative, and teaching experience to our school community. She holds a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Southern California, a Master of School Administration from UNC Greensboro, a Master’s in Translation and Interpreting Studies from Wake Forest University, a Bachelor of Law from Renmin University of China, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Jiangxi Normal University. Dr. Li is certified as a principal in both North and South Carolina and holds teaching licenses in Elementary Education, Early Education, K–12 Gifted Education, ESL, Chinese, and Curriculum & Instruction.

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Dr. Li has served in a wide range of leadership roles in both the United States and China. As a founding principal in both Carolinas and China, and a former college professor, Dr. Li brings a deep commitment to academic excellence, global citizenship, and the integration of language and the arts.

• As Math MTSS Coordinator for another school in Guilford County in 2023, her strategic support helped the school achieve the top 10 growth rate in the state within a single year.

• As Chief Academic Officer at East Voyager Academy of Charlotte, she helped lead the school to earn the Exceeded Academic Growth Goal Award from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in 2022.

• During her time as Assistant Principal at East Point Academy (EPA)—South Carolina’s top-ranked charter school—she led the school to receive the Global Engagement Award from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in 2021. Under her leadership, the theatre class at EPA produced an original film, The Prince with a Mask, which received international recognition and more than 20 awards from various international film festivals. Earlier in her career, as Science Department Chair, she helped boost EPA’s state science test passing rate from 53% to 86% in just one year.

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In addition to her leadership in K–12 education, Dr. Li is also a seasoned researcher and international presenter. She frequently shares her studies and educational insights at conferences around the world, contributing to global conversations on bilingual education, curriculum design, and language-integrated learning. Her presentations have been featured at:

• 2022 – 2nd Charlotte Language Center Annual Conference, Charlotte, NC

• 2022 – Bilingualism Matters @ University of South Carolina Annual Conference, Columbia, SC

• 2019 – National Chinese Language Conference, San Diego, CA

• 2019 – 7th International Conference on Immersion and Dual Language Education, Charlotte, NC

• 2018 – CIUTI (Conférence Internationale Permanente d'Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes) International Conference on Translation and Interpreting, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

• 2017 – 30th Annual CATI (Carolina Association of Translators & Interpreters) Conference, Winston-Salem, NC

• 2017 – 10th Leipzig International Conference on Translation & Interpretation Studies, Leipzig, Germany

• 2017 – 16th Language Learning Series: Bilingual Education—Not Only Language Proficiency, but Also Academic Achievement, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

 

​Dr. Li is also an internationally recognized expert in bilingual education and a recipient of several prestigious teaching and leadership awards, including the Guan Ailing Educator Award—given to only three educators across the U.S. and Canada.

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With her rich background rooted in both Eastern and Western educational traditions—and as an avid world traveler—Dr. Li brings a truly global perspective to her work. Her cross-cultural insight and passion for international education make her the ideal leader for a globally minded school like TISA.

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Under Dr. Li's leadership, TISA is committed to providing a dynamic, multilingual education that empowers students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.