Reston, VA — The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) today named Philip Rossetti, Randy Oliver and Katherine Holden as the finalists for the 2022 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year (APOY) award.

Philip Rossetti, Windham High School, Raymond, ME

Philip Rossetti believes that people make mistakes, but it’s what they do after that defines who they are. He used this principle to transform how Windham High School manages student behavior, focusing on restorative justice to hold students accountable and repair the harm they caused their school community. This restorative approach has improved school safety and reshaped school culture, fostering stronger relationships between students and turning mistakes into opportunities to learn.

Randy Oliver, Van Horn High School, Independence, MO

Randy Oliver knows that relationships are key to educator and student success. He led the staff in creating a shared student-centered vision to guide their work with each other and their community during the pandemic and beyond. This vision propelled initiatives to meet this challenging moment, such as a Cultural Competence Team that ensured every student felt valued and a weekly Academic Time to check in on their individual progress. This emphasis on relationships helped move Van Horn from a 50% graduation rate to a present-day graduation rate of 89.4%.

Katherine Holden, Ashland Middle School, Ashland, OR

Katherine Holden moved Ashland Middle from traditional letter grades to a proficiency-based feedback system that helped students grow through precise and timely feedback. Holden guided her teachers through creating rubrics that are clear, explicit, and accessible to students, and engineering a schoolwide system which included development of new software to create a responsive gradebook. The data shows her work is leveling the playing field regardless of students’ race, gender, first language, socioeconomic status or support at home.


“On behalf of school leaders around the country, I want to congratulate Mr. Rossetti, Mr. Oliver and Ms. Holden on their achievement and for having a lasting impact on their communities,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “In a time of renewal and recovery, these leaders have gone above and beyond to serve others and it is this selfless commitment to service that exemplifies the best in educational leaders.”


For the NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year program, 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 assistant principal to represent their state or department, from whom three finalists are chosen. The award recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.


The 2022 National NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year will be announced during National Assistant Principal Week, taking place April 4-8. To learn more about the award, visit www.nassp.org/apoy.

Photos available upon request.