Eastway leader named Durham Public Schools Principal of the Year

November 2, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Brenda Jones, Assistant Superintendent
Human Resource Services, 560-2353

Eastway leader named Durham Public Schools Principal of the Year

DURHAM—Star Sampson, Principal of Eastway Elementary School, is the 2008 Principal of the Year for Durham Public Schools. Sampson has been principal of Eastway since 2004. She will represent Durham in the regional competition in the awards program sponsored by Wachovia Bank and the state Department of Public Instruction.

During Sampson’s first year as principal, Eastway was deemed one of the Top 25 Most Improved Schools in North Carolina in the ABCs of Accountability report issued by the state Department of Public Instruction. The school achieved Expected Growth under the ABCs formula during the 2006-07 school year.

“What a great honor it is to be named Durham Public Schools Principal of the Year,” said Sampson. “I share this honor with my incredible students, their parents and of course, the deeply dedicated teachers who give their all each and every day in the name of increased student achievement!”

Before her tenure as Eastway principal, Sampson was an assistant principal at the school for a year, and a curriculum coordinator for three. Before that, she taught for a total of 11 years at Holt and Merrick-Moore Elementary Schools. She was a Teacher of the Year at Holt.

Sampson holds a master’s degree in school administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from North Carolina Central University.

“Through her energy, enthusiasm and her passion for students, Star Sampson personifies every trait that comprises a Principal of the Year,” said Superintendent Carl Harris. “Her love for learning is infectious; it extends to her teachers, her staff, her colleagues, her students and their parents. What a pleasure it is to have Ms. Sampson represent our school system!”

A committee comprising former principals of the year and DPS administrators selected Sampson after reviewing nomination portfolios. She now will compete with other local award recipients from the Central Region of the state. From among the six regions, one principal will be selected as North Carolina’s 2008 Wachovia Principal of the Year. This is the 25th year Wachovia Bank has sponsored the award.
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Eastway leader named Durham Public Schools Principal of the Year