R. Wayne Blackwell

"A career in education is a way of life!" declares R. Wayne Blackwell. "It is not a job." Blackwell has spent 19 of his 35 years in education as a principal. At Chatom Elementary, the rural K-4 school he's led since 1994, one of his major accomplishments was starting a breakfast program in which 65 percent of the school's 398 students now participate. The cooperative effort of lunchroom staff and teachers ensures that all students receive the nourishment they need to succeed academically. Blackwell also launched a grant-funded alternative education program for struggling first graders at risk of being retained. To overcome limited public funding for his school, he created VIP Night, targeting local politicians, business people, large landowners, and affluent residents as school patrons. The annual event includes a tour of the building, a meal, and a musical program by students, followed by the principal's presentation of the school's accomplishments and needs. The VIP Nights have generated donations of as much as $50,000 per year in money, materials, and equipment. Blackwell takes pride in having a faculty member honored as district Teacher of the Year in seven of his nine years at Chatom. Blackwell holds a B.S. from the University of South Alabama in Mobile and an M.Ed. from Alabama's Livingston University.

John R. Kito
William Tyson Elementary School
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska

Students speak 19 different languages at William Tyson Elementary, an urban school where John Kito has been principal since 1996. Nearly half of the 453 K-6 students are still learning English and 90 percent are also poor. While the building was still under construction, Kito and his staff donned hard hats there for two days to plan an educational vision for the school. To meet the challenges of educating the diverse student population, Kito encourages his teachers to research instructional methods, continuously monitor student progress, and make necessary adjustments. Using a federal bilingual education grant, they completely revamped the school's language arts curriculum to include a program that trained parentsCincluding a 94-year-old grandparentCto participate in daily after-school tutorial instruction. As a result, reading achievement has greatly improved and Tyson Elementary has received statewide recognition for its outstanding bilingual education program. His efforts to establish a school environment "that is positive, productive, and empowering to everyone involved" have paid off in motivating and retaining a faculty of talented teachers. With strong support from parents, the school has reduced discipline problems and lifted its attendance rate to 94 percent. Kito has a B.A. from Western Washington College in Bellingham and an M.S. from Portland State University in Oregon.

Karen Curtis
Rancho Santa Fe Elementary School
Litchfield Elementary School District
Goodyear, Arizona

"I am truly a 'hands-on' person who believes that rolling up your sleeves and working right next to the students, teachers, parents, and community is the best prescription for creating excellence," says Karen Curtis. At Rancho Santa Fe Elementary, a suburban Pre-K-5 school with 700 students that she opened in 2000, she has created a team-oriented, democratic school culture. Her staff supports her philosophy of shared leadership and is encouraged to create "out of the box" solutions to everyday instructional challenges. As an alternative to primary single-grade classrooms, Curtis introduced a multiage program for grades 1 to 3 that has since been replicated at other elementary schools in the district. When test scores and teacher concerns identified a weakness in students' spelling, she revised the language arts curriculum to include a program successfully targeted at spelling proficiency. She also has led the implementation of the Micro-Society Program at Rancho Santa Fe. The program transforms classrooms into small communities where "students become immersed in the realities of a free-market economy, complete with taxes, property concerns, income issues, and politics." A principal for 12 years, Curtis earned a B.A. from California State University at Northridge and an M.A. from the United States International University in San Diego.

Howard G. Austin
Prescott Elementary School
Prescott School District
Prescott, Arkansas

The harvest of Howard Austin's strong community relations in his 19 years at Prescott Elementary can be seen in many school programs, including classroom career days, a grandparents' volunteer reading program, and an adopt-a-kindergarten volunteer initiative supported by the local Kiwanis Club. Donations from patrons and local businesses have equipped Austin's school with a 26-station computer lab and provided additional computers and an amplification system in all classrooms. Although Austin has won a number of accolades for his leadership, he's especially proud of being honored for his involvement over the years with numerous county civic organizations. In 2000, he was named Educator of the Year by his district. His rural, 375-student K-4 school has also received recognition for earning the highest district scores on state math and reading tests. "I believe communication with our students, teachers, and parents is the key to articulating and instilling in others a strong sense of purpose for our school," he says. To that end, Austin informs parents about the school's educational goals and progress not only at an annual orientation night but at every parent event during the year. He received a B.A. from Wiley College in Texas and an M.S. from Henderson State University in Arkansas.

Harry L. Branch
Central Elementary School
Harrison School District
Harrison, Arkansas

Harry Branch regrets that "principals have so little time to work with teachers on...instruction." Nonetheless, Branch has led his staff, serving 450 students in grades 5 and 6, in implementing research-based practices that address "all of the needs of the learner: physical, social, and emotional, as well as academic." As a result, rural Central Elementary boasts high achievement levels, including the highest state rankings for sixth-grade math and literacy. Branch began his 28 years in middle-level education as a history teacher before becoming a principal in 1991, the same year he was commissioned to serve on a task force to reform the state's middle-level education. The group established principles that emphasized the curricular, developmental, and pedagogical needs of early adolescents. Branch subsequently applied for a Carnegie Foundation grant that provided the training and funding to make his school one of 12 statewide pilot sites for middle-level education. At Central Elementary since 1998, and during an earlier principalship at another middle school, Branch successfully introduced the practice of team teaching. He also fostered an innovative alliance of classroom, physical education, and health teachers at Central Elementary to teach mini-courses on health-related topics. Branch's B.S. and M.S. are from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.