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PRINCIPAL FINALISTS
Washington B. Collado - Lyons Creek Middle School
Washington Collado’s educational experience spans 21 years -- three of these years have been spent as principal of Lyons Creek Middle School, the 3rd largest middle school in Broward County. He shares a passion for education and sets high expectations for his students. So, it is little wonder that under his leadership, his school has evidenced significant gains in writing and reading. The percentage of students meeting high standards in writing has increased from 85% to 93% and in reading the increase has been from 63% to 66%. He has instituted various enrichment initiatives at his school to remediate and strengthen student achievement. Notable among these is the restructuring and expansion of the reading department to include all students. Collado is a hands-on principal who values parental involvement. The PTA president has described him as a change agent who has established an open door policy since his arrival at the school. It is noteworthy to mention that under his leadership, PTA membership has increased by 21%. Collado is very involved in his community. He is a writer/columnist for El Nuevo Herald - the Spanish version of The Miami Herald. He is also a commentator for El Gran Domingo a Spanish radio show. According to one staff member, Collado is a true leader who emulates professionalism and epitomizes the American dream.
Dee Knabb – Central Park Elementary
Dee Knabb has been an educator for 32 years, 16 of which have been in the capacity as a principal. She has served nine of those years at Central Park Elementary. Prior to her current position, she was the principal at Nob Hill Elementary. Her personal mission is to foster student achievement while providing a nurturing environment conducive to learning. It is evident that she is accomplishing her mission as her school has maintained a letter grade of A for the past eight years. Under Knabb’s leadership the school’s reading, math, science, and writing scores are consistently above district averages. There was a 16 point gain in science and 95% of her students scored 3.5 and above in writing. Last year 77% of her students made learning gains in reading. The average daily rate of attendance is 96% and suspensions are below 1%. Her school was recognized by the State of Florida and SAC (Southern Association of Colleges) for sustaining high performance. Since 2003, her school has received the prestigious Five Star School Award. The award is given to schools for outstanding community and family involvement. She has been lauded as being, “A highly dedicated professional with exceptionally high standards, commitment and enthusiasm, while being humble and approachable.”
Vered Roberts – Hollywood Hills Elementary
Vered Roberts is an extraordinary leader whose educational experience spans 17 years. She has served five of those years as principal at Hollywood Hills Elementary School. Through her strong instructional leadership and clear vision, Hollywood Hills has maintained an unparalleled level of excellence. First and foremost is the fact that the school has been an A school for the past six years. Since 2004, the percentage of students meeting high standards in reading, math and writing has steadily increased. The school has also met AYP for the past five years and has been designated a choice school for neighboring schools. Under her leadership, Hollywood Hills Elementary School has received two coveted awards, the Five Star School Award and the Golden School Award. Roberts is a strong proponent of community partnerships. Her most innovative program to date, “Connecting for Kids,” seeks to raise funds to purchase eyeglasses, much needed school supplies and to pay for field trips for students experiencing financial hardships. She is an advocate for meaningful staff development. She has implemented technology training along with several other learning communities at her school. It is little wonder that parents have lauded Roberts’ open door policy, high visibility, passion and dedication as hallmarks of an exceptional leader.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FINALISTS
Michelle Kefford – Western High School
“Visionary, passion and understanding” are three words that can be used to describe Michelle Kefford who has had nine years educational experience, three of them as an assistant principal at Western High School. As an assistant principal, she has used her leadership skills to initiate academic and morale programs for both students and teachers. These programs include the “Keys to Success” dinner, designed for 9th and 10th graders and their parents/guardians to review past performance and map out their future academic track; a mentoring program between at-risk 9th and 10th graders and 12th grade National Honor Society students; and socials designed to thank teachers for their hard work. Prior to Kefford’s arrival at Western High School, student performance in science was low. Drawing on her science background, she created a science curriculum team composed of teaching experts in biology, chemistry, integrated science and physics, to correlate scientific topics from one discipline to another. Through the creation of this team, developing science “concept sheets,” and providing incentives for students, the 2007 Science FCAT data revealed that the number of students receiving a level 3 increased by 10%, one of the largest increases in the county last year. Her contributions are not limited to academia, as she has coordinated her school’s transportation program and graduation ceremony. Kefford is a true educator at heart.
Cindy Pluim – Lauderhill Middle School
Cindy Pluim, a 17-year career as an educator in Broward County, has served the District as assistant principal at Lauderhill Middle School since 2004. Among her notable achievements is the creation of five staff development learning communities at her school, one of which is grant writing. As a result, the school has received grants that enabled both parents and students to attend FCAT Saturday Academy and to educate the staff, community and students on the benefits of healthy eating. After receiving a $30,000 Verizon Grant, she developed an innovative, hands-on, creative curriculum, the “Lauderthrills Amusement Park” which has infused the science of geometry and physics. That year, math scores showed a 68% learning gain. Pluim was instrumental in creating a student chorus club, developing a Life Cancer Awareness Day, and organizing student awards, SAC nights and end of year activities. She created a tracking worksheet for ELL (English Language Learners) students and developed a comprehensive plan to boost their reading achievement. Due to her clear vision for this particular subgroup, the reading scores for the Zone Middle schools increased from 17% to 27%. Pluim also created SOLAR (Students of Lauderhill Are Ready), an innovative hands-on, technology driven, 8th grade science program to foster an interest in science while boosting test scores. She is a staunch proponent of collaborative leadership and consistently models that behavior.
Jennifer Woertz-Kashdin - Harbordale Elementary
An assistant principal in Broward County for six years, Jennifer Woertz-Kashdin is a 16-year education veteran who firmly believes in a school culture that promotes continuous student learning throughout the entire school day. Due to her efforts, Harbordale Elementary School students in grades three to five, who are performing in the lowest quartile, now have an opportunity to access CCC, a reading tutorial program in the computer lab before school starts. She also successfully implemented two programs, “Problem of the Week” and “Words of Wisdom” that air daily on the morning announcements. “Problem of the Week” poses FCAT like questions from one of the core subjects and “Words of Wisdom,” is a short discussion on character building. During lunch, students have the option of either reading a book or practicing their math facts using flash cards. Kashdin also collaborates with aftercare providers to provide additional learning experiences. Her list of accomplishments include instituting a fluency assessment for Grades K – 2, a school wide reading program, coordinating FCAT camp, mentoring aspiring leaders and facilitating the implementation of technological programs. She has also been instrumental in coordinating effective staff development activities and believes in strengthening the home – school connection by involving parents. She has been described as someone who goes over and beyond her assigned responsibilities. According to her principal, the success that Harbordale Elementary enjoys is directly related to Kashdin’s tireless effort and dedication. |
