1997 NATIONAL DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPALS
The National Distinguished Principals Program, sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the U.S. Department of Education, each year names elementary and middle school principals of the year from each of the 50 states, nine private, K-8 schools, and the U.S. departments of Defense and State schools. The winners are listed below.
Alabama. Lexie Barnett, Mary B. Austin Elementary School, Mobile. Alaska. Sharon Meacham, Homestead Elementary School, Eagle River. Arizona. Sigmund Boloz, Ganado Primary School, Ganado. Arkansas. James Lewis, Gene George Elementary School, Springdale. California. Jeanie Cash, Richard Henry Lee Elementary School, Los Alamitos. Colorado. Gayle Jones, Silverthorne Elementary School, Silverthorne. Connecticut. Roberta Kurlantzick, Union School, Unionville. Delaware. Anita Thorpe, Harlan Elementary School, Wilmington. District of Columbia. Robert Bracy III, Strong John Thomson School, Washington. Florida. Cathy Valdes, Cleveland Elementary School, Tampa. Georgia. Thomas Cullens, Garrison-Pilcher Elementary, Thomasville. Hawaii. Ernest Dela Cruz, Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School, Lihue.
Idaho. John Mikkelson, Eliza Hart Spalding Elementary School, Meridian. Illinois. Robert Kenison, Wauconda Grade School, Wauconda. Indiana. Jack Yaggi, Fifth Street Elementary School, Jasper. Iowa. Debra J. Beving, Lincoln Elementary School, Cedar Falls. Kansas. Howard Pitler, L’Ouverture Computer Technology Magnet, Wichita. Kentucky. Donald Lynch, Vine Grove Elementary School, Vine Grove. Louisiana. Andrea Martin, Winnfield Kindergarten, Winnfield. Maine. Elizabeth Manchester, Mount Ararat Middle School, Brunswick. Maryland. Mary Reeser, White Marsh Elementary School, Trappe. Massachusetts. Steven Silvestri, Westlands School, Chelmsford. Michigan. William McNulty, Mattawan Consolidated School, Mattawan. Minnesota. Diane Trisko, Elton Hills Elementary School, Rochester.
Mississippi. Gylde Fitzpatrick, Poplarville Upper Elementary School, Poplarville. Missouri. Kenneth Rimmer, William Joseph Underwood School, Lee’s Summit. Montana. Jan Riebhoff, Belgrade Intermediate School, Belgrade. Nebraska. Robert Bruckner, Oakdale Elementary School, Omaha. Nevada. Barbara McLaury, Caughlin Ranch Elementary School, Reno. New Hampshire. James Elefante, Matthew Thornton Elementary School, Londonderry. New Jersey. Emanuele Triggiano, Lincoln School, Dumont. New Mexico. June Reed, Roosevelt Elementary School, Gallup. New York. Esther Fusco, Port Jefferson Elementary School, Port Jefferson. North Carolina. Kenneth Turner, North Elementary School, Roxboro. North Dakota. Larry Lynne, Rickard Elementary School, Williston. Ohio. Christine Robertson, Brambie Developmental Academy, Cincinnati.
Oklahoma. Irene Seay, Horace Mann Elementary School, Duncan. Oregon. Stanley Paine, Maple Elementary School, Springfield. Pennsylvania. Cameron F. Bausch, Easterly Parkway Elementary School, State College. Rhode Island. Bonnie Robinson, Ashaway Elementary School, Ashaway. South Carolina. Edward Sires, Summerville Elementary School, Summerville. South Dakota. Marvin Sharkey, Brandon Elementary School, Brandon. Tennessee. David Moore, Shelby Oaks Elementary School, Memphis.
Texas. Alda Benavides, E. B. Reyna Elementary School, La Joya. Utah. Mary Kay Kirkland, Alice C. Harris Intermediate, Tremonton. Vermont. Daniel Ryan Jr., Rumney Memorial School, Middlesex. Virginia. Janice Martson, Appomattox Elementary School, Appomattox. Washington. Patricia Rylander, Manchester Community School, Port Orchard. West Virginia. Carol Hager, Madison Middle School, Madison. Wisconsin. James Dimock, Parkview Elementary School, Chippewa. Wyoming. Lynette Westbrook, Hebard Elementary School, Cheyenne.
Private schools. Kimberly Berlino, St. Mary’s School, Pompton Lakes, N.J.; William Broderick, River Oaks Baptist School, Houston, Texas; Brenda Feehan, Our Lady of Mercy School, Merced, Calif.; Harriet Hamilton, St. Mary’s School, Cortland, N.Y.; Melba Hanssen, St. Paul Lutheran School, Mount Prospect, Ill.
Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools. Edward Drozdowski, Lakenheath Elementary School, Suffolk, England; Carol George, Hood Street Elementary School, Columbia, S.C.
Department of State Overseas Schools. Moyra Hadley, Overseas School of Colombo, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka; John F. Ritter, American International School, Lusaka, Zambia.
OUTSTANDING STATE PROGRESS REPORTS
The 1998 NGA Chairman’s Award for Outstanding State Progress Reports on Education, sponsored by the National Governors’ Association, was given to four states for exemplary public reporting of education progress made in their states. The state reports were recognized for an outstanding job of informing the public about state progress in achieving the national education goals. The four states and their reports are: Maryland, “Reaching for the Goals"; Massachusetts, “Education Report"; Missouri, “The Missouri Report"; and New Jersey, “Progress Toward the National Education Goals.”
OTHER HONORS AND AWARDS
Gary Ashley, executive vice president of the Georgia School Boards Association in Lawrenceville, is the recipient of the 1998 Thomas A. Shannon Award, the highest honor from the National School Boards Association. He was recognized for his leadership qualities and devotion to improvement of school governance.
Anne Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association in Alexandria, Va., was selected to receive the first Myra Sadker Equity Award, presented by the Myra Sadker Advocates, an organization that promotes gender equity. Ms. Bryant is credited with focusing national attention on gender bias. She is also a former executive director of the American Association of University Women.
Deloris Jordan, author of Family First and mother of basketball player Michael Jordan, received the Family Resilience Award, presented by the University of Chicago’s Center for Family Health. She was recognized for exemplifying the center’s ideals of fostering strong, resilient families.
