14 Mar 2016 Mayflower principal recognized

Candie Watts was recently recognized for achieving the status of Master School Principal at the Arkansas State Board of Education meeting at the Arkansas Department of Education.

Watts completed three years of rigorous professional development plus an additional year of performance evaluations to achieve the designation from the Arkansas Leadership Academy’s Master Principal Program. Johnny Key, Arkansas Department of Education commissioner, and Dr. Diana Peer, Master Principal leader, presented the award.

Watts has been the principal at Mayflower Elementary School in Mayflower for six years. With a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she also is a graduate of the Arkansas Leadership Academy Teacher and Team Institutes. Watts is dedicated to improving the school culture and results for her students, teachers and families and is well known for her leadership in professional development, curriculum, instruction and assessment leadership.

The Arkansas Leadership Academy is based in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. The Academy’s Master Principal Program was authorized by Act 44 of the Second Extraordinary Session of the 2003 Arkansas General Assembly.

“The Master School Principal program is an excellent opportunity for principals to build valuable instructional leadership skills, which enhance student academic performance,” Key said. “I commend Ms. Watts for completing the program. She, along with previous program graduates, serves as a great example of instructional leadership in education.”

According to ALA Director David Cook, “Developing principals with the talent to lead complex organizations requires giving them a broad range of leadership experiences along the way. This rigorous, four-year program enables school leaders to enhance and accelerate student and adult learning. I commend Ms. Watts for being dedicated to her students, teachers and learning communities. I also want to thank the Arkansas Legislature, the Arkansas Department of Education and the academy’s partners for their support and vision in building the leadership capacity of principals across our great state.”

For more information, visit arkansasleadershipacademy.org/ or contact Dr. Diana Peer at the Arkansas Leadership Academy at [email protected] or 479.575.3030.