Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NAESP Recognizes Nation's Top Principals During National Principals Month

  • 10/08/15

Alexandria, Va. – Outstanding elementary and middle school principals from across the nation and abroad have been named 2015 National Distinguished Principals (NDPs) by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The K-8 principals will be honored October 16 at an awards banquet in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 26th year that the program has been generously funded by VALIC.

Established in 1984, the two-day NDP celebration program, which will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel, recognizes public and private school principals who make superior contributions to their schools and communities. The principals will also have the opportunity to share best practices. The 59 principal honorees are selected by NAESP state affiliates and by committees representing private and overseas schools.

NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly congratulated the class of outstanding principals, noting their significant role in successfully leading students, schools, and communities through seismic shifts in education. “Only a school principal can lead a school to success and positively impact an entire learning community,” she said. “That is why I am so pleased to congratulate this year’s class of National Distinguished Principals—they richly deserve this honor and many more.”

“VALIC is very proud of our 26 year partnership with the National Distinguished Principals Award Program,” said Jana Greer, President and CEO, Individual and Group Retirement, AIG. “We recognize the critical role education plays in the lives of our nation’s children, and principals are the key to ensuring the highest quality education. On behalf of VALIC, I warmly congratulate all 59 of this year’s National Distinguished Principals and extend my deepest thanks for all that they do.”

It is particularly fitting to acknowledge the work of principals in October because it is National Principals Month, which was established to recognize and honor the contributions of school principals and assistant principals toward the success of the nation’s students, and encourage awareness of their significance.

A list of the 2015 NDPs and their biographical information can be accessed at www.naesp.org/2015-class-national-distinguished-principals.

Featured

  • Montclair State University Debuts New VR Facility

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, according to a news release. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • New Jersey Day School Opens New Science & Entrepreneurship Building

    Saddle River Day School (SRDS) in Saddle River, N.J., recently celebrated the grand opening of the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship, according to a news release. The school partnered with DIG Architecture on the 32,000 square foot facility, completed on a 17-month construction timeline in time for the beginning of the new school year.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.