The Office of Overseas Schools is an enthusiastic participant in the National Distinguished Principals' Program (NDP), recognizing that the NDP award is a powerful means to acknowledge the crucial role that principals play in the lives of State employees who are assigned overseas. Last year's winners from the Department of State were Ms. Geraldine Branch, principal at the American Community School of Beirut, Lebanon, and Ms. Wendy McArthur, principal at the International School of Belgrade, Serbia.
The NDP Program was established in 1984 as an annual event to honor exemplary elementary and middle school principals who set the pace, character, and quality of the education children receive during their early school years. The program is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), in corporate partnership with Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company (VALIC). Selected principals will be honored at a two-day event to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 18 - 19, 2007, which culminates in a formal awards banquet.
Distinguished principals are chosen from nominees from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, private K - 8 schools, Department of Defense Dependents' schools, and Department of State-assisted overseas schools. Award recipients must be principals of the elementary grades, but we realize that in many of our overseas schools this includes middle school, and in some schools, this person is head of school. Principals or directors of K-8 schools are certainly eligible. Selection criteria can be found on the NAESP website.
To nominate one of your school's administrators for this prestigious recognition, please submit a Nomination form. Nominees will also need to complete a Nominee Packet: All nominations must be submitted to the Office of Overseas Schools by May 31, 2007 to enable the selection committee to meet the timetable established by the NAESP.
Nomination Form: www.state.gov/m/a/os/82379.htm
Nominee Packet: http://www.naesp.org/client_files/NDP07_Nominee_Application_Packet.pdf
