Congrats to Our Principal & Assistant Principal of the Year!

October 4, 2019

Dr. Ruth C. Steidinger, Principal of Olive Chapel Elementary School, has been named the Wake County School System’s 2019-20 Principal of the Year. Catie Burnette of Hilburn Academy is Assistant Principal of the Year.

Dr. Ruth C. Steidinger, 2019-20 Principal of the Year

Ruth Steidinger has served as principal of Olive Chapel for four years. She has devoted her entire, 30-year educational career to WCPSS, beginning as a math teacher at Athens Drive High in 1989. She’s also served as Assistant Principal at Apex High, Principal of Dillard Drive Elementary, and in Central Services as Director of Literacy and in three Senior Director positions - Middle School Programs, High School Programs and Academic Programs and Support.

The new Principal of the Year was cited for building relationships and establishing a culture of mutual trust and respect among her staff as milestone achievements during her tenure at Olive Chapel. A recent survey of her staff indicated an increase of more than 50 percentage points in trust and respect among colleagues since Steidinger’s arrival in 2015.

“At our first staff meeting I shared my journey of why I became an educator. We took the time to share our stories, reminding all of us why we chose to serve in this capacity,” stated Steidinger in her application portfolio. “I knew that in order to build trust, I had to show staff that I was willing to be vulnerable, to share my heart. I challenged staff to look daily for the good in others.”

Steidinger also dedicated significant professional development time to this effort, having her staff read and discuss the works of Brené Brown and other noted experts in leadership development.

She quoted Brown during her acceptance speech on Oct. 3.

"We must be guardians of a space that allows students to breathe and be curious and explore the world and be who they are without suffocation," she said. "They deserve a place where they can rumble with vulnerability and their hearts can exhale."

Parent and community engagement around student success is another hallmark of Steidinger’s work at Olive Chapel. This has been accomplished by strengthening communication between the school and parents, establishing service clubs like KidsCorps (which collects and donates food for students in need and resources for nearby animal shelters) and bolstering STEM programs and mentorships.

Steidinger holds two bachelor’s degrees – in art and in mathematics – from Meredith College; a master’s degree in education administration and supervision from North Carolina Central University; and a doctorate in educational leadership from East Carolina University. She has led numerous workshops on effective teaching, cultural literacy and growth mindset.

With Steidinger’s honor comes a $500 monetary award for Olive Chapel, compliments of Strawbridge Studios. Steidinger herself receives a $100 gift card for The Angus Barn from  Lifetouch, a $250 Visa gift card from Toshiba, a flatscreen TV donated by NTA Life, two N.C. State football tickets, two Carolina Hurricane hockey tickets, a one-night stay with breakfast at the Umstead Hotel and a Chick-Fil-A gift bag.

2019-20 Principal of the Year Ruth Steidinger 

Catie Burnette, 2019-20 Assistant Principal of the Year 

Catie Burnette has been Assistant Principal at Hilburn Academy for two years. She taught first and second grade at Bugg Magnet Elementary for four years and was an administrative intern at Washington Magnet Elementary before going to Hilburn. She also has worked for Teach for America, A+ Schools of North Carolina and Communities Organizing to Nurture and Celebrate East Raleigh Talent (CONCERT).

The new Assistant Principal of the Year was cited for her leadership in the shared vision among Hilburn’s administrative team, along with strong communication among staff, students and families and providing great learning experiences for teachers and students - all ingredients in her recipe for success.

Learning experiences that are relevant to the world in which our students will live are key, said Burnette in her application portfolio.

“For students, this looks like supporting a second-grade teacher in developing a math lesson that connects fractions to baking or pizza toppings. It looks like connecting grade-level texts to current or historical events that have impacted the world we live in. It looks like analyzing their favorite song lyrics for figurative language,” stated Burnette, who established a Career Rodeo at Hilburn to inspire students in their college and career choices.

Burnette holds a bachelor’s degree in education, child development and family studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in school administration from North Carolina State University.

As Assistant Principal of the Year Burnette receives a $100 gift card for The Angus Barn compliments of Lifetouch, a $250 monetary Visa Gift card from Toshiba, a flatscreen TV donated by NTA Life, two N.C. State football tickets, two Carolina Hurricanes hockey tickets, a one-night stay with breakfast at the Umstead Hotel and a Chick-Fil-A gift bag.

2019-20 Assistant Principal of the Year Catie Burnette

Selection Process

The selection process for both the Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year awards is the same. Semi-finalists are selected by their peers. Semi-finalists are then invited to submit a short biography. Principals and Assistant Principals across the district then vote to select five finalists in each category.

Finalists submit an e-portfolio for review, and committee members visit school sites and interview the finalists. The finalists with the highest scores on these measures were selected as the Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year.