Two named Principal of the Year finalists

Templeton Middle School Principal Patricia Polczynski and Waukesha South High School Principal Mark Hansen, Wisconsin’s 2006 Principals of the Year for middle and high school, were finalists for the National Principal of the Year Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Before taking over as Waukesha South's principal in 2000, Hansen was an assistant principal at Waukesha North for two years. Hansen, 36, started his career as a social studies teacher at Pewaukee High School and also worked in the Brown Deer School District.

Polczynski, 53, held teaching positions in the Milwaukee Public Schools and was a specialty program implementer at Milwaukee School of Languages before coming to the Hamilton School District. Hamilton Superintendent Kathleen Cooke credited Polczynski with improving student achievement at her school by focusing on assessment data to guide her efforts.

The Principal of the Year program began in 1993 as a means to recognize outstanding middle level and high school principals. The program honors secondary school principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students and for their exemplary contributions to the profession. The National Principal of the Year was selected from the State Principals of the Year representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity.

The Principal of the Year program was developed by NASSP in partnership with MetLife. The state principals of the year were recently honored at the Principal’s Institute and Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C.

Last updated on 9/25/2006