Jeff Peck, Morgen Owings Elementary School principal, was honored by the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) and PEMCO Insurance as a recipient of the 2008 Robert J. Handy Most Effective Administrator Awards for mid-size districts at the WASA Small Schools Conference in Yakima on Monday.  

In his tenure as principal, Peck, who has been in the education profession for 25 years, has been an integral part in helping the Lake Chelan School District develop a clear vision for educational excellence; and under his leadership, Morgen Owings Elementary has risen to the top of North Central Washington in WASL test scores.

“I just feel very fortunate to work in a place like Lake Chelan. We have a wonderful student body, excellent staff, and a supportive superintendent and school board. It certainly makes my job enjoyable,” Peck said. “We’ve really developed a strong partnership with the parents in the community and that makes it a fun job. This is a job that I just truly enjoy going to every day because of all the people associated with it.” 

Peck’s nominator described him as a principal who works closely with his staff to determine the needs of all students. “If a child is not meeting standard, the building develops strategies and programs to make sure all children are successful.” “Instruction and assessment adjustments are constantly made to meet all student needs.”

An innovative leader, Peck initiated the first P.T.A. group, developing a partnership with the entire community; a new reading series; the LASER science curriculum; a Powerful Teaching and Learning process; and piloted the NWEA assessments—all designed to improve instruction and student learning in his school.

 “WASA is pleased to acknowledge highly effective administrators such as Jeff Peck for their exemplary work and dedication to increasing the academic achievement of every student,” stated WASA Executive Director Paul Rosier. “Strong education leaders are critical to achieving the highest level of success in public schools.”

Three awards are presented each year based on district-size categories with a $10,000 award equally divided by the winners. Approximately one-third of Washington’s school districts are represented in each category. The award can be used for personal or professional growth and/or to support and disseminate information about a successful school or district program. A committee composed of representatives from five educational organizations selects the winners from nominations that detail how each nominee is taking part in actualizing the nine characteristics of high performing schools/districts as defined by research from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.  

In its seventh year, the Robert J. Handy Most Effective Administrator Awards seek to recognize outstanding public school administrators in Washington State. Robert J. Handy, the awards’ namesake, founded the PEMCO Life Insurance Company. Handy was a Seattle schoolteacher during the Great Depression whose vision of providing low-cost loans to schoolteachers grew into what is now the School Employees Credit Union of Washington. 

The Washington Association of School Administrators is a statewide professional association representing nearly 1,600 members including superintendents, central office administrators, and building principals. Committed to the development of quality education through professional leadership, WASA members benefit from a supportive community of professional leaders providing valuable training, support, and resources to education leaders.