South Carolina Principal Named Finalist in National Principal of the Year Award
August 26, 2009
Wando High School principal meets with judges to determine national winner
MT PLEASANT, SC & Reston, VA – August 26, 2009 – Lucy Beckham, principal of Wando High School in Mt. Pleasant, SC, has been named a finalist in the 2010 MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals National High School Principal of the Year search.
Beckham has served as principal of Wando for over 10 years. Despite having 3,100 students—more than the population of some small towns—Wando is one of the highest-performing high schools in the state. Much of that success can be attributed to Beckham’s gentle leadership which has earned her a great deal of respect among teachers and colleagues.
Undaunted, Beckham took on the principalship at Wando while the district was in the process of designing a larger building to accommodate the town’s rapid growth. When the new school opened in 2004, Beckham was determined to not let the massive structure deter faculty and staff from reaching each and every student.
She helped form four career-related schools of study and a ninth-grade academy that provide opportunities for personal connections. Students at all grade levels meet with faculty advisers weekly and as they move to the upper grades, they are assigned to an administrator/counselor team who monitors and supports each student until graduation. Further, Beckham makes a strident effort to keep in constant communication with parents and the community at-large through the school’s Web site and the weekly education column she pens for the local newspaper.
Under the conviction that quality teachers are the driving force behind the success of a school, Beckham has recruited some of the nation’s top educators to work at Wando. She supports her staff through continued professional development and with the quality feedback received from the 200-plus observations completed monthly by the school’s administrative team. Teacher satisfaction is a top priority for Beckham. A recent school climate survey showed that over the last four years, teacher satisfaction with the school’s learning environment skyrocketed from 85.2% to 97.9% and in the same period, satisfaction with the social and physical environment jumped to 98.5%—a true testament to Beckham’s passion for sustaining a positive and supportive learning environment for teachers and students alike.
Beckham, along with five other principals from across the country, were interviewed on Monday, August 17, in Arlington, VA, by a panel of judges seeking to name one middle level and one high school principal as the 2010 MetLife/NASSP National Principals of the Year. The search began in early 2009 as each state principal’s association selected its State Principal of the Year. From this pool of state award winners, a panel of judges selected three middle level and three high school finalists. National winners will be announced in September.
The six finalists each receive a $1,500 grant. The two national award winners receive an additional grant of $3,500. The grants are used to promote the advancement of learning opportunities for students or other related investments such as capital improvements, the purchase of technology-related equipment, or funding specific educational programs.
This is the first time a South Carolina principal has been selected as a national finalist since Sharon Buddin of Ridge View High School in Columbia won the award in 2002.
NASSP and MetLife are strongly committed to supporting the visions of unsung school leaders. Each year, the MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year program focuses attention on the outstanding work principals do in middle level and high schools across the country. These individuals are recognized for their accomplishments as high-achieving principals, all the while making a daily investment in our children’s future.
For more information about the MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year program and winners, please visit www.principals.org/poy.
About NASSP
NASSP is the preeminent organization and the national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals and aspiring school leaders. NASSP provides its members with the professional resources to serve as visionary leaders. NASSP promotes the intellectual growth, academic achievement, character development, leadership development, and physical well being of youth through its programs and student leadership services. NASSP administers the National Honor Society™, National Junior Honor Society™, National Elementary Honor Society™ and National Association of Student Councils™. For more information, visit www.principals.org.
About MetLife
MetLife Resources, a division of MetLife, provides retirement plans and other financial services to healthcare, education, and not-for-profit organizations. MetLife, a subsidiary of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) is a leading provider of insurance and other financial services to millions of individual and institutional customers throughout the United States. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. offers life insurance, annuities, automobile and homeowner’s insurance and retail banking services to individuals, as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement and savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. Outside the United States, the MetLife companies have direct insurance operations in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe. For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.
