BC's outstanding principals honoured at awards luncheon
Contacts:
Suzanne Walters, Director of Communications
The Fraser Institute
Telephone: (604) 714-4582
Email: suzannew@fraserinstitute.caPeter Cowley, Director of School Performance Studies
The Fraser Institute
Telephone: (604) 714-4556
Email: peterc@fraserinstitute.caRelease Date: 26 October 2000
VANCOUVER, BC — BC's outstanding secondary school principals were honoured today at the inaugural Garfield Weston Outstanding Principals Awards Luncheon, at Vancouver's Hyatt Regency Hotel. For the first time in Canada, principals were recognized for their achievement based on objective measurements of school performance.
The Fraser Institute's widely cited Report Card on BC's high schools recognizes the critical role principals play in accomplishing their school's mission, and for inspiring excellence among their students and teachers. These new awards recognize their exceptional leadership and commitment to education.
"When the Fraser Institute Report Cards are published, it's usually the school principal that takes most of the heat. So it's only fitting that we have a way to recognize the contribution principals make to a school's success. The Garfield Weston awards give us an opportunity to do exactly that," says Peter Cowley, director of school performance studies at The Fraser Institute.
Awards of $5,000 each were presented to the winning principals in these three categories: Academic Excellence, Improvement in Academics, and Academic Performance in Excess of Expectations.
Academic Excellence
Mr. Vic Clayton
Principal, St. Margaret's School
Victoria
Improvement in Academics
Ms. Marjorie Fortney
(Former) Principal, Fraser Valley Adventist Academy
Langley
Academic Performance in Excess of Expectations
Mr. Martyn Wilson
(Former) Principal, Elphinstone Secondary
Gibsons
"An effective principal is an essential part of a successful school. As baby boomers start to retire, we'll need to attract top-notch people to become principals. Knowing that they are highly valued will encourage more young education professionals to consider administration. These awards are strong evidence that effective school leaders are highly valued," says Cowley.
Awards were also presented to outstanding principals in Alberta on Tuesday, October 24 in Calgary.
The Garfield Weston Outstanding Principals Awards were presented by Sharon Hollows, who led her school's transformation from one of the worst primary schools in England to one of the top-performing in the country.
Established in 1974, The Fraser Institute is an independent public policy organization based in Vancouver, with offices in Calgary and Toronto.
For further information on the winners and on the Garfield Weston Outstanding Principals Awards, contact:
Suzanne Walters, Director of Communications,
The Fraser Institute, (604) 714-4582,
Email suzannew@fraserinstitute.ca
info@fraserinstitute.ca
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