Great principals build great schools. They communicate a compelling vision, they engage their communities, they nurture their staff and they create an environment that increases student success. Thirty-two exceptional leaders in education from across the country have been chosen as Canada’s Outstanding PrincipalsTM for 2010 by The Learning Partnership. This award is presented to principals who have made a measurable difference in the lives of their students and their own local communities.
The Canada’s Outstanding Principals program is in its 6th year and this year’s winners join the assembly of 155 previous recipients of this prestigious honour. The award is an initiative of The Learning Partnership, a national not-for-profit organization that has championed public education in Canada since 1993 (www.thelearningpartnership.ca/).
Canada’s Outstanding Principals program utilizes the expertise of University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management to provide executive leadership training and resources. This year’s principals will join their colleagues from the National Academy of Canada’s Outstanding Principals, and through the experience of connecting with other outstanding leaders, the principals will form the foundation for a national network of knowledge that can be applied to their schools, local communities and provinces.
Nominations were received from every province and territory and selection was on a representation by population basis. Judging was conducted by a distinguished group of Canadian education, community and private sector leaders. Each candidate was scored in the categories of: characteristics of outstanding principals; evidence of partnerships with parents and community; a personal story illustrating successful change and innovation which resulted in improved student achievement; as well as letters of support.
The winning principals were invited to a five-day Executive Leadership Training Program at the University of Toronto’s Joseph L. Rotman School of Management in February where they had the opportunity to dialogue and reflect on leadership issues with other leaders from the educational, social, cultural and business communities. In addition, the winners were formally honoured for their contributions at the Canada’s Outstanding Principals Gala Awards Celebration, held in Toronto at the Delta Chelsea Hotel.
Canada’s Oustanding Principals for 2010
Alberta
Kathleen Finnigan – St. Patrick’s Community School – Red Deer
Sandra Levesque – Falconridge School – Calgary
Mike Bolder – Blessed John XXIII Elementary and Junior High School – Calgary
Linda Gadwa – Kehewin Community Education Centre – Kehewin
British Columbia
David Derpak – Vancouver Technical Secondary School – Vancouver
Lisa McCullough – Mount Boucherie Secondary School – Kelowna
Rhonda Ovelson – A.S. Matheson Elementary School – Kelowna
Lynne Moorhouse – View Royal Elementary School – Victoria
Manitoba
Laurie Bachewich – Onanole Elementary School – Onanole
New Brunswick
Mike BeLong – Hillcrest School – Moncton
Elizabeth Horgan – St. Malachy’s Memorial High School – Saint John
Newfoundland and Labrador
Barry Jenkins – Villanova Junior High – Conception Bay South
Vaughn Granter – Corner Brook Regional High – Corner Brook
Northwest Territories
Janette Vlanich – Sir Alexander MacKenzie School – Inuvik
Nova Scotia
Debbie Metherall – Rockingstone Heights School – Halifax
Terry Wadden – Sir John A. Macdonald High School – Upper Tantallon
Nunavut
Cathy Lee – Attagoyuk Ilisavik – Pangnirtung
Ontario
Jan Olsson – Huntsville High School- Huntsville
Cindy Zwicker – Reston Bendale Business and Technical Institute – Toronto
Theresa Harper-Dubé – Loyola School of Adult and Continuing Education – Napanee
Marlyne King – Lancaster Public School – Mississauga
Beverley Muir – Humberwood Downs Junior Middle Academy – Toronto
Joanne Lombardi – St. James Catholic School – Seaforth
Beverley Ohashi – Earl Haig Secondary School – Toronto
Ron Curridor – Monsignor J. H. O’Neil Catholic Elementary School – Tillsonburg
Agnes Cudmore – St. Mary’s Catholic School – Blind River
Wes Hahn – R.A. Riddell Elementary School – Hamilton
Prince Edward Island
Kevin Stonefield – Montague Intermediate School – Montague
Quebec
Myra Kestler – Harold Napper School – Brossard
Saskatchewan
Faye Elke – Evan Hardy Collegiate Institute – Saskatoon
Garth Anderson – Foam Lake Composite School – Foam Lake
Yukon
Ted Hupé – Holy Family Elementary School – Whitehorse
Reflecting the desire to recognize the unique challenges that educational leaders face in on-reserve schools, Linda Gadwa, principal of Kehewin Community Education Centre, Kehewin, Alberta will receive a special award from The Learning Partnership for her exceptional leadership.
Carrie Shibinsky
Carrie Shibinsky is the Communications Manager at The Learning Partnership. Canada’s Outstanding Principals™ is made possible through the generous sponsorship of CIBC and Deloitte
This article is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s March 2010 issue.