Marion County’s Jayne Ellspermann Named National Principal of the Year
Thursday, October 9, 2014
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Marion County’s Jayne Ellspermann Named National Principal Of The Year
Florida Principal Recognized for Empowering Students to be Successful
Tallahassee, Fla., October 7, 2014 – Recognizing their importance and the impact principals have on students, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is proud to join the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in congratulating Jayne Ellspermann of West Port High School in Ocala as the 2015 National Principal of the Year.
Governor Scott said, “I would like to congratulate Principal Ellspermann on being named the 2015 National Principal of the Year. Thanks to her hard work and dedication to Florida students she has helped students excel in furthering their education and pursuing a career.”
“Jayne has led her school and students to believe in themselves and has provided the tools to assist them in pursuing their college and career goals,” said Commissioner Pam Stewart. “She has been a colleague and friend for more than 20 years and a model for all educators. She is a true inspiration; I am excited to share her merits and contributions in education.”
Ellspermann has created a career-ready culture at West Port. She opened opportunities for students such as “Power Hour,” a lunchtime academic development period with options of being part of open labs and clubs among other academically enriching choices. Power Hour has directly boosted graduation rates, participation in school activities and has diminished course failure almost entirely. Eligible students at West Port are also able to graduate with an associate’s degree during high school thanks to Ellspermann. Additionally, West Port has earned an “A” grade and has the highest test scores in the district.
The 2015 National Principal of the Year was announced by Commissioner Stewart at a surprise assembly at West Port High School. The rigorous selection process began in early 2014. From a final pool of three middle and three high school principals, the judges selected the national winner. The finalists each received grants toward school improvement, the top six principals received $1,500 in grant money and the national winner will receive an additional $3,000 grant.
For more information about the Principal of the Year program, please visit www.nassp.org/poy. For more information on the National Association of Secondary School Principals, please visit http://www.principals.org/.
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