2008 Principal of the Year Finalists
October 15, 2008 - The Principal of the Year and the Assistant Principal of the Year for the Wake County Public School System will be named at ceremonies at the Marbles Museum in downtown Raleigh Thursday night, October 16.Superintendent Del Burns will be there to congratulate the winners and finalists.
Principals and assistant principals are nominated by their peers. Each finalist is required to submit a portfolio, receive a site visit, and is interviewed by a panel of educators and community members.
Principal of the Year finalists
2008 Principal of the Year finalists include James Sposato of Powell Elementary; Rod Stanton of Cary Elementary; Savon Willard of Salem Elementary; Dalphine Perry of Zebulon Middle; and Matt Wight of Apex High.
Here is information about each of the finalists:
James Sposato, Powell Elementary School
Sposato has been in education for 14 years and has been principal at Powell Elementary for five years. He took an unusual path to the job of principal, working for VISTA with the Macon, Georgia Housing Authority and working at the National Health Education Consortium in Washington, DC. For a year, he served as a teaching parent and eventually program supervisor at the Methodist Home for Children in Raleigh. He entered the Principal Fellows program in 1997. After completing that program he became the assistant principal at Powell and was promoted into the principal’s job in 2003.
In 2006, Powell was recognized as one of the top magnet schools in nation when the Magnet Schools of America named it a School of Excellence. Powell is a magnet school with the theme of Gifted and Talented School of the Visual and Performing Arts.
“Jimmy Sposato has been a wonderful principal match for Powell,” said Area Superintendent Jonibel Willis. “His energy, vitality, love of kids, dedication to student success and his desire to want the best for every student shows in all he does at Powell.”
Dalphine Perry, Zebulon Middle School
Perry has been in education for 33 years and has been principal of Zebulon Middle School for three years. Prior her job at Zebulon Middle, Perry worked as an elementary and middle school principal and assistant principal in Wilson County. She began her teaching career with the Lenoir County Schools. She was named Wilson County Principal of the Year in 2001 and 1993.
Perry is active in the community as a member of the Zebulon Rotary Club and her church. She speaks for youth programs at Zebulon churches and has served on the education committee of Gamma Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Perry is recognized as a staunch advocate for children by a group of Zebulon Middle School teachers. “Ms. Perry requested that all homeroom teachers make a positive phone call to their students’ parents to welcome them to a new school year and to inform parents to call the teacher or Ms. Perry at any time with the goal of improving their child’s education,” the teachers said. “The reaction was overwhelmingly positive for parents, students and staff.”
Rod Stanton, Cary Elementary School
Stanton has been in education for 12 years and has been principal of Cary Elementary for four years. Prior to his job at Cary Elementary, Stanton served as assistant principal at Lincoln Heights Elementary and was a teacher at Davis Drive Elementary.
Stanton is active in his church and enjoys athletics, taking part in softball and basketball leagues. He’s begun running and has a goal of competing in a half marathon. He devotes time to his family and they enjoy boating and swimming.
School counselor Meliene Bawden compliments Stanton for his focus on academics. “As a result of his efforts we have an instructional schedule that maximizes uninterrupted blocks of instructional time while providing dedicated time for remediation, maintenance and enrichment,” said Bawden. “SMART goals and best practices are common topics of conversation school wide, not just among the classroom teachers.”
Matt Wight, Apex High School
Wight has been in education 24 years and has been principal of Apex High for two years. Prior to his job at Apex High, Wight served as principal of Salem Middle, East Cary Middle and was a principal, assistant principal and teacher in the New Hanover County schools.
Wight is a former college soccer player and has continued playing, coaching and refereeing soccer. He’s active in his church and devotes time to his family, seeking to make it home every night to read with his children at bedtime.
Counselor Rebecca Andrews worked with Wight at Salem Middle and is now at Apex High. “Matt Wight has been the most effective principal at the middle and high school levels for whom I have worked,” said Andrews. “He has changed the climate of a school as well as the academic structure, and created an excellent one from the ground up.”
Savon Willard, Salem Elementary School
Willard has been in education for 32 years and has been principal at Salem Elementary for eight years. Prior to her job at Salem Elementary, Willard was a senior partner at Partnership Elementary, assistant principal at Olive Chapel Elementary and Wake Forest Elementary and a teacher at Morrisville Elementary. Willard opened Salem Elementary as principal and has been on faculty that opened three other new elementary schools including Morrisville, Olive Chapel and Partnership.
Williard is active in her church, devoted to her family and supportive of organizations battling cancer, heart disease and muscular dystrophy.
“Have a great Salem Elementary day,” is the way Willard’s morning announcements end every day, according to WCPSS administrator Robert Sox. “Savon is a genuine model of the tone that this praise conveys,” said Sox. “Students at Salem know that they are in a place that sees their greatness. Savon expresses a genuine visible interest in each member of the school community; the children and the adults.”
2008 Principal of the Year finalists photos
 Matt Wight |
 Rodney Stanton |
 James Sposato |
 Savon Willard |
 Delphine Perry |
Assistant Principal of the Year Finalists
2008 Assistant Principal of the Year finalists include Edna Faye Jones of Forest Pines Elementary, Kathy Godfrey of Harris Creek Elementary, Lisa Cruz of Brier Creek Elementary, Shejuanna Rodgers of Apex Middle, and Teri Whyte Scott of East Wake High School of Engineering Systems.
Here is information about each of the finalists:
Edna Faye Jones, Forest Pines Elementary
Jones has been in education for 14 years and has been assistant principal at Forest Pines Elementary for three years. Prior to working at Forest Pines Elementary, Jones has served as an assistant principal and teacher that split time between Green Hope Elementary, Adams Elementary and Farmington Woods Elementary. She also worked as a teacher at Farmington Woods Elementary and West Lake Elementary.
Kathy Godfrey of Harris Creek Elementary
Godfrey has been in education 40 years and has been assistant principal at Harris Creek Elementary for three years. Prior to working at Harris Creek Elementary, Godfrey she was an assistant principal at Fuller Elementary, a Central Office grants coordinator, and an Academically Gifted teacher at Carnage Middle, Fox Road Elementary and Lincoln Heights Elementary.
Lisa Cruz, Brier Creek Elementary
Cruz has been in education for 18 years and has been assistant principal at Brier Creek Elementary for two years. Prior to working at Brier Creek Elementary, Cruz has served as an assistant principal at Lincoln Heights Elementary and a teacher at The Bridges Program and Baucom Elementary.
Shejuanna Rodgers of Apex Middle
Rodgers has been in education for 14 years and has been assistant principal at Apex Middle for four years. Prior to working at Apex Middle, Rodgers served as an administrator with the NC Department of Public Instruction, and a teacher at Rolesville Elementary. She was also a teacher at a Green County middle school.
Teri Whyte Scott, East Wake High School of Engineering Systems
Scott has been in education for 12 years and has been assistant principal at East Wake School of Engineering Systems for two years. Prior to working at the East Wake School of Engineering Systems, Scott served as interim principal of East Wake School of Integrated Technology, assistant principal at Knightdale High and Garner High.
2008 Assistant Principal of the Year finalists photos
 Kathy Godfrey |
 Edna Faye Jones |
 Teri Whyte Scott |
 Shejunna Rodgers |
 Lisa Cruz |
Awards presented finalists
The 10-finalists will receive an acrylic award, and an executive padfolio compliments of Office Depot. The principal finalists will receive a monetary award that was made possible by Hunt Ward, Lifetouch Studios. And each assistant principal finalist will receive a monetary award that was made possible by Jubel Stagner and Kim Trezona of Jostens.
The Principal of the Year will receive a $1,000 check compliments of Hunt Ward, Lifetouch Studios and an executive padfolio and HP combination Printer, Scanner, Copier, and Fax compliments of Sonya Reid of Office Depot. The Principal of the Year’s school will receive a $500.00 monetary award compliments of Michael Strawbridge, Strawbridge Studios.
The Assistant Principal of the Year will receive a $500 check, compliments of Jubel Stagner and Kim Trezona of Jostens and an executive padfolio and HP combination Printer, Scanner, Copier, and Fax compliments of Sonya Reid of Office Depot.
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