On June 23, 16 State Principals of the Year (POY) and Assistant Principals of the Year (APOY) from 13 states will be speaking to their members of Congress and staff to discuss the most pressing issues in education as they prepare to start school this fall. These school leaders from around the country will be asking Congress to invest in the educator workforce, improve equity in education, and prioritize our nation’s school infrastructure. The names and schools of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) POY and APOY award winners and the high schools they help lead are listed below.

  • Darin Landry, Principal, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, AR
  • Chelsea Jennings, Assistant Principal, Lakeside Junior High School, Springdale, AR
  • Jonathan Guthrie, Assistant Principal, North Montgomery High School, Crawfordsville, IN
  • Stacy Monette, Principal, Paul R. Baird Middle School, Ludlow, MA
  • Nicole Isley-McClure, Principal, High Point High School, Beltsville, MD
  • Todd Simmons, Principal, Pewamo-Westphalia Middle School/High School, Westphalia, MI
  • Haley Street, Assistant Principal, Holly Area Schools, Holly, MI
  • Angie Charboneau-Folch, Assistant Principal, Big Lake High School, Big Lake, MN
  • Shawn Hendrickson, Principal, St. Ignatius Middle School/High School, St. Ignatius, MT
  • Emily Bonilla, Assistant Principal, Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology, Newark, NJ
  • Amanda Grundel, Assistant Principal, Ponaganset High School, Glocester, RI
  • Joseph Williams, Assistant Principal, Sturgis Brown High School, Sturgis, SD
  • Heather Gerrard, Assistant Principal, Ogden High School, Ogden, UT
  • Paula Logan, Principal, Butler Middle School, Salt Lake City, UT
  • David Cooke, Principal, Jemtegaard Middle School, Washougal, WA
  • Eitan Benzaquen, Principal, Hillcrest School, Kenosha, WI

The NASSP National Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Yearprograms recognize outstanding middle level and high school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession. Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools, and the Department of Defense Education Activity select one middle level or high school principal and one assistant principal to represent their state.


About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of middle level and high school principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student’s potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor SocietyNational Junior Honor SocietyNational Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council.