1. PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ken Page, VPA Executive Director at kpage@vpaonline.org, 802-229-0547
The Vermont Principals’ Association: 2016-17 Principals of the Year
MONTPELIER-The Vermont Principals’ Association will honor seven distinguished educational leaders at the
VPA Leadership Academy awards banquet on Wednesday, August 3rd at Killington’s Grand Hotel. Nominated
by their peers and from the public at large, each of the principals listed below was selected recently by a
committee of the VPA ExecutiveCouncil and past award winners for outstanding building and educational
leadership.
 BrianSchaffer,Principalof Lamoille Union High School,is the winner of the National Association of
Secondary School Principals, High School Principal of the Year Award;
 MarkMooney,Principalof Twinfield Schoolin Plainfield and Marshfield, is the recipient of the Robert
F. Pierce Vermont Secondary Principal of the Year Award;
 GeoffLyons,Assistant Principal at BFA St Albans, is the recipient of the NASSP Assistant
Principal/Administrator of the Year Award;
 AndraBowen,Assistant Principalof Bethel Elementary School is the recipient of the NAESP Assistant
Principal of the Year Award;
 BobbyRiley,Principalof The Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler Elementary in Burlington will
receive the National Distinguished Principal Award from the National Association of Elementary
Schools Principals;
 RebeccaFillion,Principalof Twin Valley Elementary School in Wilmington will receivethe Henry R.
Giaguque Vermont Elementary Principalof the Year Award;
 RobertTravers,Directorof the Center for Technology in Essex is the Technology Directorof the Year
as selected by the Regional Tech Center Directors and the VPA ExecutiveCouncil
Some of these candidates’ names willbe entered into national competition fornational principals of the
year while others willbe honored with statewide leadership awards.
The selection criteria mirrored the Wallace Foundation’s criteria for effectiveschoolleaders asking nominators
to comment about how the person has-- shaped a visionof academicsuccess for allstudents,created a climate
hospitableforeducation,cultivated leadershipinothers,improvedinstructionandmanaged people,dataand
processesto fosterschoolimprovement. Inaddition, the selection committee sought specific examples about how
has the leader has createdand maintainedahealthyschoolculture, broadenedandenrichedschoolcurriculum,
providedmoreandbetterlearningtime duringthe schoolyearandsummer,endeddisparities inlearning
opportunitiescreatedbytracking andability grouping,usedavarietyof assessments designedto respondto
studentneeds,reassessedstudentdisciplinepolicies,supportedteachers as professionals, providedadequate
resourcesforsafe andwell-maintainedschoolenvironments, addressedkeyhealthissues;builtonthestrengthsof
languageminoritystudentsand correctlyidentifiedtheir needs;andexpandedaccess to libraries and theinternet,
whileusingtechnologywisely.
The 2016 VPALeadership Academy willfeature keynotespeaker Kim Marshall speaking on “Major Mindshifts:
The Current Demands on the Principalship.” There willalso be six learning strands for school leaders on topics
such as strategic leadership, teacher supervision and evaluation, culturally competent leadership, authentic
leadership and social media and supporting teachers in standards-based instruction. Over250 schoolleaders
will gather forthe three-day event in Killington, August 2-3-4. For detail and to register, go to
www.vpaonline.orgor callthe VPAofficeat 802-229-0547.
The Vermont Principals’ Association provides professional development, mentoring, and advocacy forschool
building leaders across Vermont’s public schools. The VPA also coordinates and administers statewide
academic competitions and post-season athletics forhigh school students. To learn more about VPA,visit
www.vpaonline.org.
The fifteen-member VPAExecutiveCouncil assisted by the 2015-16 Principals of the Year and the VPA Staff
chose this year’s award winners.