La Jolla, Calif. – More than a third of all San Diego County schools honored with the 2004 California School Recognition Program’s Distinguished School Award are lead by University alumni.
Of the 32 Distinguished Schools named this year in San Diego County, 11 have principals who earned a degree or credential at National University. The principals are as follows:
Jennifer Lee Carter — Richland Elementary School (San Marcos, CA)
Deborah Costanzo — La Costa Meadows Elementary School (Carlsbad, CA)
Jacqualine L. Chagala — Northmont elementary School (La Mesa, CA)
Paula Ann Jameson — La Mesa Dale Elementary School (La Mesa, CA)
Shelly Dawn Morr — Palmquist Elementary School (Oceanside, CA)
Lisa G. Mumby — Skyline Elementary School (Solana Beach, CA)
Gail Patterson — Park Dale Lane Elementary School (Encinitas, CA)
Tom Rhine — Live Oak Elementary School (Fallbrook, CA)
Cindy Louise Waters — Kimball Elementary School (National City, CA)
Margaret A. Watson — Magnolia Elementary School (Carlsbad, CA)
Julie Zak Weaver — Spencer Valley Elementary School (Santa Ysabel, CA)
The California School Recognition Program was established in 1985 to honor the state’s most exemplary, inspiring and well-rounded public schools. In the past five years, 125 Distinguished School Awards have been presented to schools with principals who are alumni of National University.
To be considered for the award, schools must participate in a rigorously competitive selection process conducted by the California Department of Education and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. Approximately five percent of California’s public schools are selected each year.
Those selected as Distinguished Schools are recognized annually at a statewide awards ceremony, where they are presented with a plaque and a special flag by the State Superintendent and the President of the State Board of Education.
Throughout California, 14 percent of the 302 Distinguished Schools named this year had principals who are alumni of National University, including 10 in Los Angeles County, four in Orange County, three in Sacramento and Fresno Counties, two in San Bernardino County, and one each in Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Stanislaus and Yuba Counties.
Graduates and credential completers from National University’s School of Education are consistently recognized as some of the best educators in California, according to independent assessments from the California Distinguished School Program, the National Blue Ribbon School competition, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and various Teacher of the Year competitions.
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