2003 Principal Of The Year Named
October 10, 2003 - The Wake County Public School System named the 2003 Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year in ceremonies last night at the Exploris Museum in Raleigh.
Finalists |
Lloyd Gardner, principal of Enloe High School, was named Principal of the Year. Camille Miller, assistant principal of Willow Springs Elementary in Willow Springs was named the Assistant Principal of the Year.
More than 300 people were on hand to see Gardner Honored. He received $1,000, an acrylic award and will go on to compete for North Carolina Principal of the Year. Miller received $500 and an acrylic award.
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Principal of the Year
Lloyd Gardner
Enloe High
Gardner has been principal of Enloe High School since 1997. He also served as the school's assistant principal for six years and was a teacher at Fuquay-Varina High for five years.
While Gardner has been principal Enloe High has been recognized as the best magnet school in the nation by the Magnet Schools of America, ranked 42 among the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation by Newsweek magazine and named a Hallmark School of Excellence.
Gardner has served on Governor Easley's Task Force on Schools of Excellence and Wake County's study of the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Breaking Ranks Report on high school structures. He has led Enloe through building renovation and planning for future directions of programming and instruction.
Gardner says he believes in exercising shared leadership,
promoting collaboration, site-based decision making and empowerment
of others. He seeks to encourage visionary thinking that is
student focused and data driven to insure continuous improvement
and cultivates a climate and culture that values and respects
individual's strengths, embraces a unified vision, instills
ownership and nurtures perpetual growth.
Enloe student body president Marie Garlock writes, "Mr. Gardner's contagious enthusiasm, optimism and work ethic spread throughout Enloe's faculty and student body, inspiring each member of the school community to strive for excellence. His personality in itself inspires confidence and prompts outstanding performance. Mr. Gardner exemplifies this ambition and initiative and exudes the kind of restless energy one would hope to find in a true leader. He does not just run the school, he drives it."
PTSA president Margaret Foreman writes, "I remember the first week of school three years ago how my son expressed surprise and excitement that Mr. Gardner and the assistant principals did lunch duty, and not teachers. My son also was surprised that Mr. Gardner walked around the cafeteria talking to students. This again shows his caring nature, but I later found out, he does lunch duty to not only get to know students, but also to free teachers to do what they do best - teach and counsel students - in addition to other schoolwork they have. At a recent open house, a parent commented to me about how Mr. Gardner seemed to know all the students by name (he spoke to so many of them as they passed our table in the hall that evening)."
"I view the principalship as a multifaceted, dynamic and ever changing role of leadership," Gardner said. "The principal has a direct link to creating an environment that promotes, stimulates, supports and enhances student learning and achievement. The principal is a leader, manager, motivator, advocate and facilitator. In any one of these roles, the principal must be able to collaboratively and effectively develop and articulate a shared vision, a vision that is based on what is in the best interest of the student and entire school. The principal guides, directs, teaches, supports, values and empowers others in continually advancing students and the school to higher levels of achievement."
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Assistant Principal of the Year
Camille Lore Miller
Willow Springs Elementary
Camille Lore Miller is assistant principal of Willow Springs Elementary. Miller has worked as assistant principal at Root Elementary and as a teacher at Brooks Elementary.
Miller describes herself as an encourager with a vision. "I prefer to facilitate teachers into leadership roles, supporting growth by providing resources and opportunities and creating interest through thoughtful conversation. If given the time, the resources and the confidence, teachers who are empowered can solve our educational dilemmas.""
Willow Springs principal Charles Langley writes, "Camille sets very high standards for herself and is an inspiration for others to want to follow suit. She uses these qualities as a mentor to new assistant principals in our system. She also helps our ILT teachers make the transition to the classroom much easier by offering advice and gentle support. This is part of the reason why we have such a low teacher turnover at our school."
Teacher Amy Prairie writes, "There are many examples of Camille's commitment to education. One is her work with the teachers and teacher assistants to develop our Enrichment Remediation program for math, based on the Brazosport, Texas model, the same Texas model the county later used for the Project Achieve schools. She has also been instrumental in setting up our kindergarten readiness program, which addresses the need for parent education on the expectations of students entering our kindergarten program. The result of which ahs been students coming to school better prepared than ever before."
Teacher Anne McCandlish writes, "I know Mrs. Miller to be of strong character. She models all the character traits we strive to instill in our students. She is an outstanding role model for us, her faculty, and the students. Her modesty would not allow her to admit all this, but she is one of the most intelligent, amazing persons I have ever had the good fortune to work with. I value her opinions and thoughts immensely. She is indeed the best."
"I need to remain positive in my support for teachers - focusing on their strengths to help them set and achieve goals," Miller said. Â A teacher who feels valued is more likely to continue to look for ways to engage students fully with innovative ideas and more challenging teaching methods. I try to help teachers find their strengths and support them in areas where they need to be uplifted. I seek ways to empower teachers in decision making, as well as in teacher leader roles. Teachers are valued when they use their expertise to solve problems."
Finalists
Finalists for the WCPSS Principal of the Year included LaVaughn Buchanan of Cary Elementary, Stephen Mares of Joyner Elementary, Darryl Fisher of Wilburn Elementary and Beth Cochran of Ligon Middle
Finalists for the WCPSS Assistant Principal of the Year included Earnestine Pittman of Stough Elementary, Bob Umstead of Swift Creek Elementary, Betty Cornell of Holly Ridge Middle and Darrel Prioleau of Garner High.
Principals and assistant principals are voted finalists by WCPSS principals and assistant principals. Then a team of school officials reviews the finalists - visiting their schools and reviewing a portfolio prepared by each finalist.
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