Alberta's outstanding principals honoured at awards luncheon

Contacts:

Suzanne Walters, Director of Communications
The Fraser Institute (604) 714-4582
Email suzannew@fraserinstitute.ca

Peter Cowley, Director of School Performance Studies
The Fraser Institute (604) 714-4556
Email peterc@fraserinstitute.ca

For Release: 4 December 2001

CALGARY, AB— Alberta's outstanding secondary school principals were honoured today at the second annual W. Garfield Weston Outstanding Principals Awards Luncheon, at Calgary's Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Based on the results of the Fraser Institute's widely-cited Report Card on Alberta's High Schools, these annual awards recognize the critical role principals play in accomplishing their school's mission, and for inspiring excellence among their students and teachers. These Outstanding Principals Awards recognize a secondary school principal who, as the chief operating officer of the school, has made an exceptional contribution to the success of its students.

"You can't have outstanding schools without inspired leadership and effective management. Today, we presented the W. Garfield Weston Outstanding Principals Awards to Alberta principals who offer both of these qualities to their school communities," says Peter Cowley, director of school performance studies at The Fraser Institute.

Awards of $3,000 were presented to the winning principals in each of these three categories: Academic Excellence, Improvement in Academics, and Academic Performance in Excess of Expectations. The finalists in each category received a $1,000 award.

Academic Excellence

Mr. Tony Rankel
Principal, Old Scona Academic High School
Edmonton

"Principals must honour their commitment to their profession and always provide the best service they can to the students under their care and encourage students and staff to move to the next level," says Rankel.

Improvement in Academics

Mr. Rodger Jackson
Principal, Assumption Junior Senior High School
Cold Lake

Talking about his school's success, Jackson notes "in our school, counselors and teachers work with students and parents to define realistic goals and match students' potential with specific programs."

Academic Performance in Excess of Expectations

Mr. Doug Bowie
Principal, Bawlf School
Bawlf

"Successful principals are those who are out with people, with their teachers, listening to what they are saying about what is happening in their classrooms, dropping in, walking the hallways, talking to the kids on the playground," says Bowie.

Cowley adds, "we hope that by recognizing outstanding leadership we can encourage principals from small schools and large ones, from private and public sectors, serving rural and urban communities that every school can make a difference and every school can improve."

Awards will also be presented to outstanding principals in British Columbia on Thursday, December 6 in Vancouver.

Established in 1974, The Fraser Institute is an independent public policy organization based in Vancouver with offices in Calgary and Toronto.