Polk County Public Schools
Terry Strong, principal of Lakeland’s Winston Elementary is one of three statewide finalists for the Sixth Annual Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award to be bestowed by the Council for Educational Change, a Florida-based education think tank.
Her status as a finalist earned her a Gold Medallion Award and $5,000 from the Council of Educational Change. The other two finalists are principals from Miami-Dade County and an overall grand winner will be announced at an event in Miami on November 19. Performing and recording artist and Florida resident Gloria Estefan will be the guest speaker at the November 19 event. The overall grand winner will receive $10,000.
The finalists were chosen based on the following criteria: raising student achievement, empowering staff leadership and forming meaningful relationships.
Strong was appointed principal at Winston starting with the 2003-2004 school year.
Since that time the school has improved two letter grades to its present FCAT grade of A.
The school has raised its percentage of Adequate Yearly Progress criteria to 92 percent from 77 percent. Adequate Yearly Progress is a measuring stick according to the federal government’s No Child Left Behind legislation.
She has been involved with the recruiting of more than 300 Winston parents volunteering more 3,000 hours at the school. She is credited with helping to raise expectations at Winston through learning initiatives, community involvement and leadership. Terry has also introduced instructional best practices based on student performance data.
The Council for Educational Change is statewide non-profit educational improvement organization and is the successor to the Florida Annenberg Challenge Initiative, a philanthropic organization chaired by the late Leonard Miller, a Florida businessman. The council has donated more than $10 million to Florida education since 2002. The council works primarily with disadvantaged schools with large percentages of students coming from households qualifying for free and reduced price school meals.
Approximately 81 percent of Winston Elementary students qualify for free and reduced school meals.
For further information on the Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award or the Council for Educational Change contact Sisty Walsh, vice president, administration and communications, The Council For Educational Change, www.changeeducation.org.
(954) 727-9909 – office
(754) 214-4568 – cell