FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE N.R. #50, 10/28/99

 Date:October 28, 1999
Contact: Irene Cromer
(703)791-8720

Five Prince William County Public Schools principals have been nominated by their school communities for the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award. This award, which is sponsored by the Washington Post Educational Foundation, recognizes an outstanding principal from each of the metropolitan area school districts. The Prince William County nominees will be honored by the School Board at a reception on November 23. The Washington Post will announce the winner in mid-November.

The principals nominated are Sandra Carter, Rockledge Elementary School; Carolyn Haley, Triangle Elementary School; Roger Dallek, Gar-Field High School; Robert Stine, Woodbridge Middle School; and Darci Whitehead-Scanlon, Montclair Elementary School.

Sandra Carter came to Prince William County in 1977 as a teacher at Rippon Middle School. She later taught at Rippon Elementary School and was assistant principal at Minnieville Elementary School before she became principal of Rockledge in 1994.

In nominating Carter for the Washington Post award, her teachers, staff and administrators said, "She is a people person who genuinely likes people and goes out of her way to share, where she can, in the lives of her students and staff. Her compassion for her peers, subordinates, students, parents and volunteers is genuine and heartfelt…"

Carter is described as an instructional leader, developing ideas for units of study and integrating the curriculum into the unit. Carleton Moyer, principal of Minnieville Elementary, where Carter served as assistant principal for three years, said, " She was one of the first to realize that whole language without phonics instruction would not work and was instrumental in Minnieville keeping that as part of our language arts program."

Always working toward improving her school, Carter initiated "The Lunch Bunch," where she meets and eats lunch with a group of students and discusses books, favorite subjects and suggestions to improve the school. The school’s leadership program, Students as Critics, which is featured on Jones Cable television, has resulted in reduced disciplinary problems.

Carter attends every function at Rockledge including "Family Night," where families have dinner at the school and attend various enrichments programs, fairs and clubs. She implemented her staff’s idea of a Technology Academy. Rockledge has an active mentoring program with over 250 volunteers.

Sandra Carter has lived in the Rockledge community for over twenty years and her children attended Rockledge. She earned a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision at George Mason University. After obtaining her degree, she was often asked about her goal. She always replied, " I hope to someday be principal of a school just like Rockledge Elementary." She is now living her dream.

When Carolyn Haley arrived at Triangle Elementary School in 1995, the school was perennially ranked at the bottom of Prince William County on standardized testing. School attendance was a problem and there was a lack of parent participation. Eager to face these challenges, Haley immediately addressed the absenteeism through parent education and student incentive programs. This same educational process showed parents how they could assist their children to learn and has dramatically increased parent involvement. Children with perfect attendance and good behavior and who are on the honor roll receive special awards each quarter at assemblies where parents are invited.

Haley implemented Triangle’s Non-Graded Continuous Progress Academic Model. Students are placed in levels based on reading ability rather than age and grade to improve their instruction and learning. Students are evaluated individually, and when they demonstrate readiness, advance to the next reading level or team. "All children can and will learn" is the school’s goal. Student achievement has soared because Haley screens weekly lesson plans, studies assessment tools and monitors classroom management. In spite of high mobility in the community, the students at Triangle Elementary have greatly improved their scores on the state Standards of Learning tests. This year, Triangle Elementary was one of the schools recognized by the State Department of Education for making the most improvement in the Northern Virginia Region.

Parents and staff hail Haley’s strong leadership abilities in turning Triangle Elementary school into a school filled with pride in its students’ achievements, attendance records, and reading comprehension. The faculty has adopted a team spirit and have numerous opportunities for instructional advancement.

Haley graduated from Knoxville College with a B.S. in elementary education and received a master’s degree in elementary administration from Radford University. She earned her doctorate of education in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Gar-Field has overcome many obstacles since Roger Dallek took over the reins as principal. The school’s population suffered from a lack of esteem and parents’ confidence was low. Now the school boasts that 86% of the graduates pursue post-secondary education and a sense of belonging and pride has been instilled in staff, students and parents. SAT test scores have significantly increased since 1997. The number of minority students in the gifted and talented programs has increased. A head start/preschool model has led more students to pursue secondary education degrees in elementary education. His nominators say that Roger Dallek has been the catalyst of this positive change. John Jenkins, Neabsco District Supervisor, said, " I know of no other individual who has had such an impact in changing the image of a large high school in the Commonwealth."

Dallek continues to create and support innovative programs to improve and better prepare students. Such programs include a teen parenting program, on-site day care, an improved SAT review course, a learning lab, after-school tutoring, entrepreneurship classes and a Tech-Prep program.

Gar-field was the pilot school to offer an English and work and family studies integrated course (Child Life and Literature). The school is now the second high school in Prince William County to initiate the International Baccalaureate program. In conjunction with the IB program, Dallek is in the process of implementing a new multimedia computer lab.

Under Dallek’s leadership many administrators have advanced in their careers and have remarked that "he exemplifies leadership by his ability to select, train and promote teachers in becoming leaders." According to Don Upperco, former Gar-field assistant principal, "Mr. Dallek’s philosophy of delegating responsibilities to his assistants enabled me to grow professionally to the extent that I have felt competent running "my own" high school." Dallek spends more time evaluating and assessing the ever changing needs of his students and his teachers. He eagerly participates in the classroom as a guest speaker or "man in the hot seat." Communicating with students through student groups and parents through grade level advisory councils, planning councils and town meetings helps Dallek maintain open lines of dialogue and encourages community input. He is committed to retaining diverse curriculum programs and creating fundraising ideas for extra-curricular activities.

A graduate of American University with both a B.A. in history and a M.A. in U.S. history, Dallek earned a Master of Education in school administration from George MasonUniversity. After three years of teaching in Arlington County, he came to Prince William County Public Schools in 1974 as a teacher at Woodbridge High School, where he later served as activities director and assistant principal. He was assistant principal of Stonewall Jackson High School from 1983 until 1987.

Present and former students, administrators and teachers describe Robert Stine as a "hands on" leader who is dedicated, accessible and in tune with all students whether he is sitting at his desk upstairs in the eighth grade wing offering advice, admonishment or writing cryptic notes to students who would like to hold the distinguished position of "Principal’s Assistant," or in the cafeteria during all three lunch shifts. He is known to treat students fairly, and, according to Wayne Mallard, Area II Associate Superintendent, "has probably the longest fuse of any middle school principal …he understands their thinking and actions and tries to accommodate their needs and learning styles."

Stine’s Woodbridge Middle School was the first Prince William County middle school to adopt a school uniform policy resulting, Stine’s nominators say, in improved academics, better discipline and school pride.

Woodbridge Middle School is one of the few schools with the distinguished honor of being a Vanguard School in Virginia and a V-Quest School. It is also one of the first schools to initiate and implement the P.A.T.S. ProActive Discipline plan. The student advisory program was presented at a National Middle School Conference. The school also maintains the PULSAR Program which helps students develop leadership, decision-making skills and trains students to become mediators.

Stine was previously nominated for the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award in 1997. He graduated from Alliance College and earned a Master of Education from the University of Virginia. He began his career in education as a science teacher and basketball and baseball coach at Clifton Forge High School in Clifton Forge, Pennsylvania. He came to Prince William County in 1970 as a guidance counselor and coach of basketball, tennis and golf at Osbourn Park High School before being named assistant principal at Woodbridge High School. Stine also served as principal of Stonewall Middle School and Godwin Middle School before moving to his current position at Woodbridge Middle School in 1984.

Montclair Elementary School

The nomination materials and letters of support for Darci Whitehead-Scanlon describe her "Children First" crusade. Children, parents and staff have adopted her "Personal best" philosophy. Montclair Elementary School students often boast and compare lifeskill tickets earned for demonstrating responsibility, initiative, effort, perseverance and other efforts.

Under her leadership, Montclair Elementary School has become the home of the Reading Recovery behind-the-glass teacher learning facility and a destination for educators seeking to adopt the Reading Recovery model. Whitehead-Scanlon’s innovative approach to delivering instruction through the use of multiple intelligence/brain compatible learning allows every student to demonstrate competence and achievement in an area and meet his or her potential. Believing each child is gifted in their own special way, she works tirelessly to challenge each student. Among other Montclair initiatives is a comprehensive reading program which includes literary circles.

Whitehead-Scanlon’s staff writes about her passion for growth and her embrace of new ideas and technology. New educational developments are often presented by speakers that are ground breakers in the field of education and keep Montclair Elementary School "on the cutting edge." Whitehead-Scanlon also teaches classes on instructional leadership and presents inservices for educators.

School programs include the biweekly TV production of Monty’s News, a Principal’s Advisory Committee, Monty's Red Wing Press and Quill and Scoll. Whitehead-Scanlon dresses up as "Monty," the school cardinal mascot, and amuses those around her. She started the "New kid on the block" to ease the transition of new students. Agenda books used by students in grades 1-5 keep the lines of communication open between home and school.

Whitehead-Scanlon came to the school division in 1985 as an autistic teacher at Neabsco Elementary School where she was later named "Teacher of the Year." Earlier she was a special education teacher in Illinois and West Virginia. She served as assistant principal of Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary School from 1991-1993 before being named principal of Montclair Elementary School. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. degree in elementary and special education, Whitehead-Scanlon earned a master’s degree in elementary administration from Virginia Tech.

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