Stroughn Named Principal of the Year

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Stroughn, Reginald

ALBANY, NY (04/08/2008)(readMedia)-- Reginald Stroughn, principal of Hempstead High School, has been selected as the 2008 New York State High School Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). This award is given annually to a member of SAANYS who has set the pace, character, and quality of education for the children 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.

Stroughn has served as a school administrator for 13 years; nearly eleven of those years in the Hempstead Public Schools. Hempstead High School is a suburban school on Long Island with a total enrollment of 1,657. His letters of recommendation for this award cite his accomplishments and success in turning the tide for a high school that, in the words of Superintendent of Schools Nathaniel Clay, was “out of control.” Clay states that “Mr. Stroughn recognized the need for leadership . . . set up a plan for improvement . . . Feeling safe was a priority for both the staff and students. . . . The reputation of the high school started to change. Graduation rates increased, attendance rates improved, fighting became almost nonexistent – the high school morale continues to improve every day.”

Samantha Fountain, a parent with three teenage children in Hempstead High School, is pleased with the changes made during Stroughn’s tenure as principal. She states, “. . . because of Mr. Stroughn’s commitment and innovative ideas there has been a tremendous turnaround in the school’s academic standing as well as order. Because of his concern for students there has also been greater parental involvement and better teacher performance.”

Stroughn, in a statement about his years at Hempstead, said, “There is no higher honor or nobler accolade than the handshake of a student on stage at graduation who entered my building four years earlier with 1 percent chance of graduating – based on a statistic often stated by Commissioner Mills. I have had that experience, that profound sense of accomplishment, and I want to repeat it again and again. It is an extremely tough job, but the successes are priceless and immeasurable. Without question, I lead a great team, we serve a great community of students and families, and together we continue to prove that failure is not an option!”

Stroughn holds a BS in health and physical education from C.W. Post College, a masters in recreation therapy from Lehman College, and a masters in administration and supervision from the City University of New York. He has served as president of Hempstead Administrators Association, is a member of several national associations, has won several awards and honors including the Hempstead Hero/Heroine Award and the Martin Luther King Award, and continues to avail himself of professional development opportunities.

Stroughn will be honored for his accomplishments at an awards ceremony on May 9, 2008 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York. As New York’s High School Principal of the Year, Stroughn is now a candidate for the award of National High School Principal of the Year, an award sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. An awards ceremony sponsored by NASSP will be held in Washington, DC this fall.

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SAANYS represents more than 6,900 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to its members 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 and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.