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WASHINGTON SCHOOL LEADERS RECOGNIZE AND HONOR OUTSTANDING COLLEAGUES, COMMUNITY CITIZENS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION

The Washington PTA, OSPI’s Dep. Supt. Mary Alice Heuschel, SPU’s Washington School Research Center and Union Gap Superintendent Bob McLaughlin were among those recognized Monday by the Washington Association of School Administrators.

OLYMPIA, Washington -- At today’s annual awards luncheon of the Washington Association of School Administrators, school leaders, community citizens and organizations were recognized for their outstanding efforts to enhance and further the quality of public education in Washington State. Among the awards presented were:

• WASA’s Golden Gavel Award - Washington State PTA, 
  
• Service to WASA Award - Washington School Research Center at Seattle Pacific University,
  
• WASA Leadership Award - OSPI Deputy Superintendent Mary Alice Heuschel, and
  
• WASA Leadership for Student Achievement Award - Union Gap Superintendent Robert “Dr. Bob” McLaughlin.

The WASA Golden Gavel Award is WASA’s most prestigious award and is presented to an individual, group or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to public education in Washington that has statewide application and is of lasting value. The Washington PTA received this award for its development and implementation of a “Parent to Parent” campaign, which consisted of a statewide cadre of 58 trainers providing workshops to parents with the goals of explaining the new standards and assessments and suggesting ways parents can support their children’s learning. A special emphasis was made toward students and families for whom English is a second language. Upon learning of the special recognition, PTA executive director Jean Carpenter stated,

“The Washington State PTA is honored to receive such a prestigious award. All over our state, PTAs work in concert with educators and community members; therefore, our recognition is also recognition of our partners. We look forward to continued partnerships with our schools to ensure that success for every child becomes a reality in Washington State.”

The Seattle Pacific University’s Washington School Research Center received the 2003 Service to WASA Award. Executive director Jeffrey Fouts, Ed.D. and director of school information services Duane Baker, Ed.D. developed the Washington “Just 4 Kids” database, which provides a way for schools to analyze their students’ academic performance as it relates to other schools with similar characteristics. Fouts and Baker have offered training of this system across the state and at many WASA conferences. Administrators have found the database to be an invaluable resource as they implement quality education reform. In expressing his pleasure about receiving the award, Dr. Fouts commented, 

“An important part of our mission is to provide meaningful data and research findings in a useable format to educators working to improve student learning. We are very pleased with the reception our work has received by the administrators and teachers in this state, and we look forward to a continuing relationship.”

Mary Alice Heuschel, deputy superintendent for teaching & learning in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, was awarded the WASA Leadership Award for her exemplary efforts in trying to maintain Washington State’s education reform model while staying in compliance with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Holding the primary responsibility for working with the Federal Department of Education, deputy superintendent Heuschel exemplified outstanding leadership abilities as she brought together teams of educators to collaboratively provide a solution that offered a degree of flexibility in a highly rigid federal structure. Commenting on her selection, Heuschel said, 

“It is a tremendous honor, and absolutely the high point in my career to be recognized with this award from WASA. Leadership focused on student learning is the passion behind the reason I am the deputy at OSPI, and to be recognized for that leadership by this organization is amazing and humbling, and I am very grateful.”

The WASA Leadership for Student Achievement Award was initiated in 2000 to honor a WASA member who has excelled in providing leadership for the implementation of an innovation that has resulted in measurable growth in student achievement. This year’s recipient, Union Gap superintendent Dr. Robert McLaughlin, was selected for his dedication to addressing the needs of students in his district. With school board and community support, superintendent McLaughlin committed resources to improve literacy and mathematics skills – efforts that resulted in dramatic increases in the scores of both. He instituted after school tutoring sessions, enrichment and remedial classes and other programs that foster learning in areas ranging from science to music. He solicited funds from local business to provide evening English classes for Spanish-speaking parents and founded the Union Gap Youth Commission to raise funds for youth sports activities. Regarding his selection for the award, Dr. McLaughlin commented,

“As educators in Washington face the many challenges of school reform, I am humbled to be chosen for the WASA Leadership Award by my colleagues.”

Through additional awards of merit, twenty-year and retiree awards, WASA also recognized the outstanding leadership and dedicated service of association members to WASA and the field of education. The full list is available on the WASA web site at www.wasa-oly.org.

The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) is a statewide professional association representing nearly 1,100 members including superintendents, central office administrators and building principals. WASA is committed to leadership in providing equity and excellence in student learning, and leadership in developing competent, ethical and visionary leaders by providing member services, offering growth opportunities for leaders, and promoting community and legislative support for education.

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Ed. Note: 

• WASA Web site - www.wasa-oly.org 
• Washington State PTA Web site – www.wastatepta.org
• Seattle Pacific University’s Washington School Research Center – www.spu.edu/wsrc/
• Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction – www.k12.wa.us
• Union Gap School District – 509-248-3966