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By SGADSDENN
Published October 31, 2007

Principal a finalist for prestigious prize

Peggy Pearson, principal of Mount Vernon Elementary School in St. Petersburg, is one of three finalists for the prestigious $10,000 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award, presented annually by the Council for Educational Change, Florida's Educational Think Tank. The award, which recognizes superior school leadership, will be presented Nov. 14 in Miami.

The award honors the late Leonard Miller, a well-known advocate for public education improvement. He was Council for Educational Change founder and former chairman of its predecessor organization, the South Florida Annenberg Challenge.

The award is given for the outstanding work of a principal in three areas: student achievement, parent/community involvement and empowering school-based leadership.

Pearson led the team that has raised Mount Vernon, a school with 73 percent of its students on free or reduced-price lunch, from a "D" school for three years in a row to an "A" school for the past three years.

She started her career at Mount Vernon as an assistant principal seven years ago and took over as principal in 2004-05. The school earned its first "A" during the 2003-04 school year and under Pearson's leadership has maintained that "A" grade.

Staff members at the school have won numerous state and national awards, and the school itself was awarded the St. Petersburg Mayor's Top Apple Award for the past three years.

Award nominations come from a pool of more than 300 principals statewide who have participated in council programs and activities. The other finalists are: Dr. Jean Ellis Teal, Miami Edison Senior High, Miami; and Randall Jud Strickland, S.A. Hull Elementary, Jacksonville.

Here's your chance to tour Cathedral School

The Cathedral School of St. Jude will hold an open house Nov. 27 from 9 to 11 a.m. at 600 58th St. N. Come and tour the beautiful, new state-of-the-art facility.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information call 347-8622.

Outstanding Educators contest narrowed to 25

Culled from 234 nominations, the Pinellas County School District has named 25 semifinalists in the 2008 Outstanding Educators Recognition program. One winner in each of the five categories, and the Outstanding Educator, will be announced at an awards dinner in February, sponsored by the Pinellas Education Foundation.

The semifinalists are:

Commitment to Improvement of the Profession: Debbie Georgia, Tyrone Middle; Sandra Hume-Marston, Sunset Hills Elementary; Malla Kolhoff, Palm Harbor University High; Anne Morgan, Northeast Community School; and JoAnne Todd, Osceola Middle.

Creativity and Innovation: Susan Carney, Ozona Elementary; Stefanie Frump, Campbell Park Elementary, Marine Science Center; David Mapp Jr., Palm Harbor Middle; Irene Seybold, Cross Bayou Elementary; and Phoebe Waller, Pasadena Fundamental Elementary.

Inspiring Students to Performance at Higher Levels: Stanley Butts, John Hopkins Middle; Kevin Haugabrook, John Hopkins Middle; Mary Olivieri, Largo Middle; Louis Pekrul, Lealman Intermediate; and Kevin Schottler, Northeast High.

Commitment to Children and Families: Kristin Brillant, Cross Bayou Elementary; Francia Germosen, Eisenhower Elementary; Jennifer Hobbs, Fairmount Park Elementary; Janine Stafford, Palm Harbor Middle; Mary Watkins, Hospital/Homebound.

Ambassador of the Profession: Evelyn Gardner, PTEC-St. Petersburg; Sandra Patterson, St. Petersburg High; Chad Pink, Cross Bayou Elementary; Patricia Searles, Tyrone Middle; Cynthia Young, Seminole Elementary.

[Last modified October 30, 2007, 22:28:49]