Weaver Elementary School Principal Erin Kominsky has joined an elite group of her peers in being recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for 2011-12. The National Distinguished Principals program honors outstanding elementary and middle-level administrators who ensure America’s children acquire a sound foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.
Weaver Elementary School Principal Erin Kominsky has joined an elite group of her peers in being recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for 2011-12. The National Distinguished Principals program honors outstanding elementary and middle-level administrators who ensure America’s children acquire a sound foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.
Los Alamitos Unified School District has placed more of its principals among this very elite company than any other school district in California. Los Alamitos principals previously honored as National Distinguished Principals are John Blaydes, Jeanie Cash, and Laurel Telfer. Now, Kominsky has been honored as among “the best of the best.”
Despite heightened expectations, declining resources, and growing challenges in educational funding, some school principals insist on finding a way. There are some wonderful educational leaders in California making a tremendous impact on instructional practice and student achievement—pushing through the obstacles to make a difference for students, teachers, and parents in their community. Kominsky, in her sixteen years as Weaver’s leader, is certainly among them.
“In my 13 year career as assistant superintendent, evaluating several hundred administrators and my 20 years at UCLA working with principals from all over California, I can confidently say that Erin is the most exemplary instructional leader I have ever encountered,” stated Jeanie Cash, former National Distinguished Principal recipient. “She defines excellence in every aspect of her job. Her passion for teaching the whole child, for motivating teachers to aspire to excellence, her amazing creativity and impeccable moral character are just a few of her outstanding attributes.”
Erin’s mantra is to “create extraordinary experiences for ordinary children,” and indeed, that happens every day at Weaver School. Last year, Weaver attained a 984 API, placing them among the top 2 percent of elementary schools in California. Ninety-eight percent of Weaver’s students score “proficient/advanced” in mathematics on the annual spring STAR assessment. Under Erin’s leadership, Weaver pioneered Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) in mathematics in 1998, as the very first CGI school in California, and is closely associated with the Mind Research Institute. Every student at Weaver develops musical competence with the piano and reads music. Erin and her teachers believe that the patterns in music help students with patterns in math. In Erin’s NDP application, one of Erin’s teachers spoke to her principal’s “obvious passion for education, growth, and children” and said, “She inspires me to be a better teacher every day.”
Los Alamitos Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Sherry Kropp, said that Kominsky is “simply a master in all areas of school leadership.”
“Erin cares about students in all areas, including academics, citizenship, and the arts. She attends high school graduation ceremonies and delights in the accomplishments of her students long after they have left Weaver. The entire school community – parents, teachers, staff, and district personnel – applaud Erin for her spirit of excellence and her drive to improve educational experiences for all students. She inspires us to continually find new avenues to fulfill our District motto, Igniting Unlimited Possibilities for Students,” Kropp said.
Los Alamitos is proud to support Erin this October to represent the State of California in a two-day celebration of school leadership excellence in Washington D.C. She will be honored at a formal reception at the State Department, tour the White House, exchange effective school leadership practices with other honorees from around the United States, participate in an interview and exchange with representatives from the Department of Education, and formally receive her award at a black tie dinner hosted by the United States Secretary of Education.
California is moving toward implementation of new Common Core standards, shared with nearly forty other states, and is working hard to support a higher cognitive level of learning for students in the twenty-first century. This envisioned future is in operation NOW, every day, in every classroom, at Weaver Elementary thanks to the inspired leadership of National Distinguished Principal, Erin Kominsky, her wonderful teaching staff, and her engaged and supportive parents.
The National Distinguished Principals program was established in 1984 to recognize and celebrate elementary and middle-level principals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character, and climate for the students, families, and staffs in their learning communities.
Each year, the National Association of Elementary Principals (NAESP) congratulates a select few principals from across the nation in both public and private schools and schools from the United States Departments of Defense Office of Educational Activity and the United States Department of State Office of Overseas Schools for their exemplary achievements.
The National Distinguished Principal recognition program in California is co-sponsored by the Elementary Education Council of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), the state affiliate of NAESP.
Since 1984, twenty-eight principals have been honored in California as NDPs. Of those, ten are still active educational leaders. Seven are still principals. Two are superintendents, one is an assistant superintendent, and one a member of the ACSA staff. All remain passionate about the their calling. In fact, the most important qualifiers of NDP recipients are that they are outstanding examples of the very best in site leadership and that they are dedicated to the principalship. It is these past NDPs who serve California as judges each spring to select the new National Distinguished Principal. They know, better than anyone, what it takes to be exemplary in every category required by the National Association of Elementary Principals.