ÒÁµéÔ°ÊÓƵ

If you’re reading this and you know a phenomenal leader, please take a minute and nominate an incredible school leader for Principal of the Year or Assistant Principal of the Year. And if you are nominated, I promise it’s worth your time to apply. The program is so much more than just the prestige of winning an award — it’s a source of pride and celebration for your staff, students, district, and community. It was also a life-changing experience for me. You’ll find the letter I wrote to ÒÁµéÔ°ÊÓƵ below. Not only will you see an experience of a lifetime, but I’ve come back a better leader for my school because of it.

Megan Mauro, assistant principal at LaVenture Middle School in the Mount Vernon School District, was named this year’s Washington State Assistant Principal of the Year. Every year, the Association of Washington School Principals selects a state winner. Mauro will also be recognized at the national level by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), where she will compete with winners from other states for the NASSP’s National Assistant Principal of the Year award, announced in early April.

ÒÁµéÔ°ÊÓƵ is redesigning our Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year program. In the past, we selected a Principal of the Year (POY) for elementary, middle, and high schools. We would either select one Assistant Principal of the Year (APOY), or recently, one for elementary and one for secondary. We’d love to explain all the reasons why we’re changing our (A)POY, but it might be faster for you to read War and Peace. You think we’re kidding…