On January 17, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP) named Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School Assistant Principal Karyn Riddle the 2024 Outstanding Secondary School Assistant Principal of Virginia. Riddle was selected by a panel of school leaders, including principals and division superintendents.

Riddle is a proud graduate of Osbourn Park High School and has spent the last 24 years reinvesting in students in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS). She spent her first 10 years at Osbourn Park High, where she taught and served four years as the school’s assistant principal. From there, Riddle spent eight years in the central office as a student management supervisor and worked in leadership development. In 2018, she became an assistant principal at Colgan High.

“She is a key person... (who) perfectly blends the accountability of performance in the classroom and the ability to support our students,” said Colgan Principal Dr. Tim Healey. “Her strategic work with teachers and students resulted in massive gains in our mathematic SOL scores, including an increase in Algebra I scores by 17.6%, a 32% gain among Special Education students, a 34% gain with English learners, a 32% gain with our Black students, and a 19% gain with our Hispanic students.”

A Colgan student said, "I thought coming to Colgan with 2,800 kids, I would never see my administrator. But Mrs. Riddle knows me by name, knows I'm a member of the band, and comes to every performance we have!"

“VASSP annually seeks to recognize exemplary performance among middle and high school assistant principals throughout the commonwealth, "said VASSP Chief Executive Officer Dr. Randy Barrack. “It is exciting when we can identify and showcase administrators like Karyn Riddle in school administration,” he said.

Riddle will be honored for her accomplishments at the Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference & Exposition this June and recognized nationally at the National Principals Conference, with other state Assistant Principals of the Year, in July.

“It’s an unbelievable honor to be recognized in this capacity, and I’m thankful to get to work in Colgan High School and Prince William County every day,” said Riddle.

Founded in 1906, the VASSP is a statewide advocacy and outreach professional organization for school principals and assistant principals.