North Collins Principal Selected as NYS High School Principal of the Year

ALBANY, NY (03/27/2014)(readMedia)-- The School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) has selected Annie R. Metcalf, principal at North Collins Jr.-Sr. High School, as the New York State High School Principal of the Year. This award is given annually to a member of SAANYS and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) who has set the pace, character, and quality of education for the students in his or her school. Nominees are administrators who are committed to students, parents, and the community and have shown exceptional contributions to the educational process.

Metcalf has been the principal at North Collins Jr.-Sr. High School since 2005. She has been described as a warm, motivational, and transformational leader who has created a revitalized educational environment at North Collins emphasizing collaboration, responsibility, and tolerance and respect for all. She has lead this previous low performing school to becoming a selected Reward School for Educational Excellence by New York State and in 2013 the school was ranked as a Silver Medal school by US News and World Reports.

"She has taught me to remember the social-emotional aspect of our leadership," said Theresa Gray, coordinator at Erie 2 BOCES. "She has led the North Collins CSD through the rankings in Business First, without creating a culture that is only about those standards. And she has made it possible for numerous students to find success when others may have written them off."

Metcalf is hailed as a leader amongst the entire district and community. She facilitates the district's Educational Advisory Committee, drawing together all stakeholders – staff, parents, and fellow administrators – to create and measure goals for the enhancement of instruction and student learning. Commented North Collins Elementary Principal John Cataldo, "I have never met another individual more dedicated, more collaborative, or more a model of instructional leadership than Mrs. Annie Metcalf. Every conversation, regardless of the audience, is about children and families and how to best serve them."

Metcalf received her bachelor of arts in psychology, her masters degree in education and school counseling, and her certificate of advanced studies in school counseling and school district administration from SUNY Buffalo.

Metcalf will be honored for her accomplishments at an awards ceremony on May 9, 2014 at the Century House in Latham, New York. As New York's High School Principal of the Year, Metcalf is now a candidate for the award of National High School Principal of the Year, an award sponsored by NASSP and The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. A principals institute and awards ceremony sponsored by NASSP and MetLife will be held in Washington, DC this fall.

SAANYS represents nearly 7,200 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

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