Dwight C. Cooper
Candidate for 2017 Vice President
Principal of Reardan Elementary School in Reardan, Washington.
“Collaboration—A Cornerstone of NAESP Membership”
What an honor and privilege to serve as an elementary school principal! Every day brings new challenges and fresh opportunities. I thrive on the chance to engage and encourage our students and staff.
I have depended upon our state principals’ association and NAESP for guidance, resources, and support. Initially, I depended upon my colleagues in our regional association for support, and as I became active at the state association level, my network of support grew encompassing colleagues from across the state. Serving as Washington State’s NAESP Representative for 7 years and now as the Zone 9 Director and serving on the NAESP Board, I have been afforded the opportunities to forge friendships and develop a network across our zone and throughout our nation.
With the changing demographics of principals, we must differentiate the services provided by NAESP to meet the needs of baby boomers, generation Xers, and millennials. The roles and responsibilities of principals are changing. For NAESP to thrive and grow, we must be responsive to what our members ask for and need. We must deliver the value adding services and resources our members seek. Just as we support our staff to differentiate learning experiences for our students, our association must differentiate the services we provide to our diverse membership.
Working collaboratively while building positive, supportive, and trusting relationships are key to sustaining effective groups and organizations. Booker T. Washington once said, “I have learned that the best way to lift one's self up is to help someone else.” I will bring my energy, enthusiasm, and experiences from more than 20 years as a principal to support and advocate for our students and fellow principals.
I am proud to be an elementary school principal and to have worked with and serve principals in my state, zone, and throughout our country. I believe I can provide leadership and stability to our association as we transition with a new Executive Director. Through my involvement in NAESP, I have learned to be a proactive advocate for our students, schools, and principals at the local, state, and national levels. Thank you for your service to the students, school, and community in which you serve. I would be honored to serve you and represent our members as NAESP Vice President.
Professional Preparation: M.Ed., Elementary Education, University of Idaho, 1980 — B.S., Elementary Education, Iowa State University, 1974 — B.S., Psychology & Sociology, Iowa State University, 1974
Professional Experience: Principal, Reardan Elementary School, 1996-Present — Reardan-Edwall School District, 1996-Present (Transitional Bi-lingual Instructional Program Administrator, 2006-Present; Washington State Education Data System Administrator, 1997-Present; District Assessment Coordinator, 1996-Present; District Foster Care Liason) — Vice Principal, Post Falls Jr. High School, Post Falls, ID, 1994-1996 — 6th Grade Teacher & Acting Adminsitrator, Canfield Middle School, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 1983-1994 — 2nd & 6th Grade Teacher, Borah Elementary School, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 1977-1983 — Iowa State University 4-H & Youth Leader, ISU Extension Service, Ames, IA, 1974-1977.
Professional Affiliations: NAESP, 1996-Present (Zone 9 Director & Board Member, 2014-present; Nomination Committee Chairperson, 2012; Nomination Committee Member, 2009; State Representative, Washington, 2007-2014; Zone 9 Board Member, 2007-Present; Zone 9 Board Chairperson, 2013-2014) — Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) & Elementary School Principals' Association of Washington —Northeast Elementary School Principals' Association of Washington, 1996-Present (President 2001-2006; Treasurer, 1998-2001) — Eastern Washington University Professional Educators' Advisory Board (Chairperson 2012-2014; AWSP Representative 2006- 2014)
Other Positions: Reardan Lions' Club and Scholarship Committee, 1996-present — Assumption Parish Youth Religious Educator, 2004-2013 — Spokane Public School District's Citizen Advisory Committee, 2007-2012
Professional Accomplishments: Principal of a Washington State School of Distinction (2012, 2013, 2014) — Principal of a Washington State Academic Achievement Award Winning School (2012, 2013, 2014) —Washington State LASER Science Partnership Academy, Eastern Washington Principal Representative, 2009-2012 — Northeast Washington Math Alliance, 2009-2014 — Eastern Washington University, Professional Education Advisory Board 2006-2015 — Principal of a Washington State School Title I, Part A Award for continued significant improvement on state assessment tests, 2014 — Northeast Washington Elementary School Distinguished Principal, 2010 — Post Falls, School District's Administrator of the year, 1996
Distinctive Qualities: Reardan Elementary School is a small rural school in eastern Washington State serving fewer than 300 students. Because of the economy of size of our small district, I also serve as our District’s Assessment Coordinator, ELL Program Administrator, State Data System Administrator, District Foster Care Liaison, and Curriculum Director.
Reardan Elementary School has earned recognition for being a Washington State School of Distinction (3 years), Washington Achievement Award Winning School (3 years), and a Washington State School Title I, Part A Award for continued significant improvement on the state assessments. These awards recognize our consistent growth and high achievement measured by our state assessment. Our students’ achievement is the result of focused collaborative work of our staff developing formative classroom assessment, monitoring each student’s achievement, and providing timely targeted assistance to our students.
Even though we are a small rural school, we have a well-deserved reputation for providing excellent services for special needs’ students. The welcoming secure school climate starts with our caring nurturing staff who cultivates supportive trusting relationships with our students and their parents / guardians. Our Native American student population continues to grow as more families from a neighboring reservation choice into our district. Our Ukrainian-Russian speaking student population also continues to grow, attesting to our respectful inclusionary culture.
Two major initiatives our staff embarked upon have been the Washington State Leadership Academy and the Success Now! Program. The Washington State Leadership Academy brought our District’s administrators together with teacher leaders to work collaboratively with our entire staff on identifying a problem of practice and creating the cycle of inquiry. We achieved our goals and are identifying new problems of practice to strategically solve. The Success Now! Program, facilitated by Education Northwest, helps building leadership teams develop collaborative practices through shared leadership within the school focusing upon improving achievement for every student.
Some of my professional accomplishments are:
- I was in the inaugural cadre’ of evaluators for Washington State’s Principal Pro-Certification panel.
- I was chairperson of Pro-Certification panels helping principals earn their residency certification.
- I served on the State’s Teacher-Principal Evaluation Pilot Committee as we developed our new educators’ evaluation system.
- I served on the Standards Setting Committee for the new edTPA Portfolio (education teacher performance assessment) for teacher candidates.
- I was the only principal from Eastern Washington on the State Science Partnership Academy, working to develop sustained professional development for teachers of science.
- I served on the NE Washington state LASER Alliance committee which developed a science kit cooperative for smaller school districts and provided on-going professional development to ensure fidelity to constructionist science instruction.
- I helped develop NEWMA (Northeast Washington Math Alliance) which established a network of math teacher leaders who collaborated via the internet and social media in a professional learning community.
Attendance and Participation: NAESP Annual Conference 2008-2016 — National Leaders' Conference, 2008-2016 — NAESP Nomination Committee, 2009 — NAESP Nomination Committee Chairperson, 2012 — NAESP National Board Meetings, 2014-Present