Morgen Owings Elementary School Principal
Jeff Peck Receives Robert J. Handy Most
Effective Administrator Award for Mid-Size District Category

Olympia, Washington – Jeff Peck, Morgen Owings Elementary School principal, was selected by the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) and the PEMCO Foundation as a recipient of the 2008 Robert J. Handy Most Effective Administrator Awards for mid-size districts 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.

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

In his second year as a principal in Chelan, Peck started the first P.T.A. group, developing a partnership with the entire community, and this year the primary teachers have adopted a new reading series, while all staff has implemented the LASER science curriculum and the Powerful Teaching and Learning process, both of which have proven to be successful.

In addition, Peck is piloting the NWEA assessments and continues to work closely with regional school improvement staff from the local Educational Service District to improve instruction at 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 1,100 members including superintendents, central office administrators, and building principals. The PEMCO Foundation is an alliance of companies inclusive of PEMCO Insurance Company, the School Employees Credit Union of Washington and Evergreen Bank.

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Ed. Note:   
WASA Web site – www.wasa-oly.org 
PEMCO Web site – www.pemco.com
Detailed descriptions of the nine characteristics – http://www.k12.wa.us/schoolimprovement/success.aspx