May 20, 2008                                       

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact Information:

Jocelyn McCabe
Director of Communications
Office: 360.357.7951
Mobile: 360.951.5269
E-mail: jocelyn@awsp.org

Middle School Administrators Elect Kelso Principal to Board

Coweeman Principal Randy Heath tapped for statewide leadership role

OLYMPIA— The Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) and its middle level board announced today that Randy Heath, principal, Coweeman Middle in Kelso, will be the board’s next vice president. Heath was elected by a vote of middle school members statewide.

Heath will become vice president for the Association of Washington Middle Level Principals (AWMLP) for the 2008-09 school year, president-elect in 2009-10 and then AWMLP president in the 2010-11 school year.   

“Randy is such a passionate advocate for students and for the middle level,” said Don Rash, director of middle level programs for the Association of Washington School Principals. “He’s always been a strong board member and we’re excited that he will be increasing his leadership role within the organization. Randy’s insights and understanding of the challenges facing middle level administrators will be beneficial to his colleagues,” he added. 

“He’s a wonderful addition to our team of officers and we look forward to working with him in the months ahead.”

The 26-member middle level board meets quarterly and represents nearly 700 middle and junior high school principals and assistant principals from around the state.  AWMLP is one of three grade-level boards that inform the work of the greater principals’ association.   The executive committee includes the president, president-elect, past president, vice president, three-year AWSP representative, National Association of Secondary School Principals coordinator, regional director representative and the AWSP director of middle level programs. 

Heath has been an active member of both AWSP and its middle level board for several years. He currently serves as the three-year representative to the full AWSP board, which guides policy decisions regarding the full Association.

“I am excited to represent middle level administrators in the state of Washington.   I have been involved with the AWMLP board since my first year as an assistant principal, when I was appointed as representative of the student leadership committee,” said Heath. “It has been my pleasure to serve the Association over the past six years and hope to continue to serve for many more to come.  Working with AWSP and the middle level board has given me access to resources and information that has helped me be a more effective leader in my school and district.

“This organization means a lot to me and I am committed to continuing to contribute to the success of the Association.”

Heath has served as principal of Coweeman since 2006. Prior to that, he served as an assistant principal at Keithley Middle for four years in the Franklin Pierce School District and spent two years before that as the school’s dean of students. He began his educational career as a math and leadership teacher at Keithley in 1993.

He earned a master’s in education from City University in 1998 and his principal’s certification from Pacific Lutheran University in 2002. Heath also holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from PLU.

To learn more about the Association of Washington Middle Level Principals, visit the AWSP Web site at www.awsp.org.

About the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)

The Association of Washington School Principals is a professional association serving principals, assistant principals and principals in training. Formed in 1972, the Association now includes more than 3,500 members from public and private elementary, middle and high schools statewide. It is governed by a board of practicing principals composed of members drawn from three grade-specific boards representing the elementary, middle and high school levels. The mission of AWSP is to support principals and assistant principals and the principalship in the education of all students.