Middle-school boys work through their social and academic problems, and then mentor younger boys;  fifth-grade math whizzes jump ahead to middle school classes; literacy teachers systematically set higher expectations for their students. Those are among the successful projects documented by the first participants in WSU Vancouver’s  Administrative Professional Certification Program.

Throughout the state, school districts and universities collaborate to offer certification for school administrators.  WSU Vancouver’s certification program, the first to be offered in southwestern Washington, is integrated into the work life of the administrators. They have five years to complete it. Four ambitious school leaders  zipped through the WSU pilot program in 14 months.  As a finale, each gave presentations that focused on student achievement at their schools.

Three of the four were from Evergreen Public Schools: Robert Ford, assistant principal at Frontier Middle School; Angela Freeman, assistant principal at Harmony Elementary, and Traci Haddad, principal at Marrion Elementary. The fourth was Herman “Stoney” Myers, assistant principal at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver. They were recently honored by their school boards for earning their certificates last fall.

Becky Fleming, the retired Evergreen administrator who supervises the WSU program, snapped a picture, above, when she reunited the foursome to celebrate their achievement.

Graduate student honors

Connie Beecher was selected by the Graduate and Professional Students Association as a 2009-2010 award winner for excellence demonstrated in the role of teaching assistant.  Connie, who was nominated by Assistant Professor Matt Marino, is working toward a Ph.D. in special education. She’s shown here dressed to the nines with fellow Pullman grad student (and fellow veteran classroom teacher) Janine Darragh at the GPSA’s March 27 celebration.

Another doctoral candidate, Cara Preuss, will be among students honored by the Association for Faculty Women at an April 6 reception.  Cara, who was nominated by Professor Joy Egbert, will receive the third place Harriet B. Rigas Award.  Cara’s expertise is language and literacy education; her award was named in honor of  a former WSU faculty member and engineer renowned for her computer research.