|
NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST, STATE PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR ARE M-DCPS’ EMPLOYEES Two administrators from Miami-Dade County Public Schools won top honors for their superior leadership skills during the eighth-annual Commissioner's Summit for Principals. Dr. Pablo Ortiz, former principal of Miami Edison Senior High School, was named the Florida Outstanding Principal of the Year, and Dr. Denise Barrett-Johnson, assistant principal at Lake Stevens Middle School, was named Florida Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year. Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett presented Dr. Ortiz with a $5,000 check and an additional $1,000 for his school. Dr. Barrett-Johnson was presented with a check for $2,500 and $575 for her school. Increasing student achievement was the primary focus of Dr. Ortiz's tenure at Miami Edison Senior High School, where he directed a cultural change involving students, teachers, staff, parents, and the community and led the most dramatic two-year turnaround of any school in Florida. Under his leadership, Miami Edison had its first Silver Knight Award recipient in almost 20 years and three students earned the coveted Gates Millennium Scholarship Award. Dr. Ortiz currently serves as Assistant Superintendent, Education Transformation Office. Dr. Barrett-Johnson has used her leadership skills to create a safe, positive, and academically enriching learning environment for her students. Over the past two years, she has worked to build a successful literacy program at Lake Stevens Middle School, which contributed to improving the school's rating to a "B" Her most noteworthy accomplishments as an assistant principal include creating literacy programs, social studies education, building family and community partnerships, and motivating faculty, staff, and students. She believes that education is a community effort requiring the investment and resources of all stakeholders. Alexandre Lopes, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) and Florida’s 2013 Teacher of the Year, was named one of four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year Award by the Council of Chief State School Officers. He joins educators from Maryland, New Hampshire, and Washington state in line for the national award. Lopes’ philosophy is “It takes the senses to make learning make sense.” The winner will be announced at a White House ceremony during National Recognition Week, April 21-26, 2013, in Washington, D.C. Editor’s Note: Photo attached
Pictured: (left-right) National Teacher of the Year Finalist Alex Lopes, teacher at Carol City Elementary School; Miami-Dade School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman; State of Florida Outstanding Principal of the Year Dr. Pablo Ortiz, formerly principal at Miami Edison Senior High; and Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year Dr. Denise Barrett-Johnson, assistant principal at Lake Stevens Middle School.
# # # 13-JS/031/GC |
