Monitor Principal Named State's Best
Principal Of Year Honor Awarded To Maribel Childress
Last updated Friday, October 10, 2008 6:16 PM CDT in News
By Rose Ann Pearce
THE MORNING NEWS
SPRINGDALE -- Monitor Elementary School Principal Maribel Childress was named Principal of the Year this week by the Arkansas Association of Elementary School Principals.
Childress' selection was announced at the group's fall meeting in Little Rock.
She is in her second year as Monitor's principal and before that served as principal at Parson Hills Elementary School.
"Mrs. Childress is one of the most innovative principals I've had the privilege of working with," said Superintendent Jim Rollins. "She is continuously looking for new methods of improving student achievement. It's not unusual to see her coaching soccer teams, directing involvement in physical activities, leading special instruction and participating in special events like Island Day which had many cultures represented."
As principal at Parson Hills, she had the largest enrollment of Marshallese students in the Springdale district. She twice traveled to the Marshall Islands to learn more about the Marshallese culture in an effort to better serve those students and their families.
Childress was a teacher and administrative assistant at Smith Elementary School for three years before being named Parson Hills principal in 1999. She was a teacher in Louisiana before joining the Springdale district.
"I was overwhelmed and honored that my peers would select me," Childress said Friday. She was one of six finalists for the recognition.
She had high praise for the teachers, parents and students who work with her.
"It's awkward to receive an individual award for a group process," she said.
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
