Dresden principal honored by state

Dresden Elementary School principal Mike Laughrey

Nashville – In an awards ceremony held Monday at the Tennessee Supreme Court, 18 principals across the state were lauded for their leadership.
Among those chosen for a Value-Added Achievement Award, Dresden Elementary School principal Mike Laughrey received a first-place ranking in elementary schools for West Tennessee.
In a release issued by Education Consumers Foundation, education reformers have made teacher quality a top concern in Tennessee and elsewhere. Without the support of a great principal, working quietly behind the scenes to create the conditions for success, even the best teachers will inevitably be limited in what they can accomplish in the classroom, the release stated.
Winners were selected based on the most important school measurement available – learning gains across the entire student body, as measured by Tennessee’s Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS). TVAAS measures achievement gain in a way that permit schools to be compared regardless of the makeup of the student body. Schools whose students make the greatest annual gains in achievement earn the highest value-added scores.
“These 18 principals show what a dedicated principal and teaching force can achieve in Tennessee schools,” ECF president Dr.  J.E. Stone said.
“If every school performed at the level of our 18 winners, Tennessee would lead the nation in education improvement.”
“I am pleased to join with the Education Consumers Foundation in recognizing some of our most effective principals and schools,” Tennessee Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman said.
“Value-added achievement is a central focus as we work to boost student achievement across the state, and these education leaders are shining examples of what’s possible in Tennessee,” Huffman added.
“The main reason for our success at Dresden Elementary is the school wide culture that we have created. We are a medium size Pre-K–4th grade, serving approximately 500 students in a rural area,” Laughrey said.
“We are a Title 1 school with 80 percent of our students on free or reduced lunch. This scenario presents many challenges. Our philosophy is, ‘The best part of the day for the majority of our students is when they are at school.’ With this mind we have created a culture where students are made to feel very much a part of the school. They want to be successful and exhibit this through hard work and good behavior,” Laughrey added.

WCP 5.31.12