District of Columbia Mayor Vincent C. Gray and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson today announced the 2012 Principal and Teacher of the Year. The Principal of the Year is David Pinder of McKinley Technology High School. The Teacher of the Year is Hope Harrod, a 5th grade teacher at Burroughs Education Campus.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the spectacular achievements of Mr. Pinder and Ms. Harrod,” said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “Principal Pinder has helped turn McKinely Tech into the shining example of what we want every high school in DCPS to be. Ms. Harrod gives everything she has to her students, and has done that every day at DCPS for 11 years. Her peers and her school leaders consistently rave about all the wonderful ways in which she is making Burroughs a great place for students to learn.”

“Principal Pinder and Ms. Harrod exemplify the best of what DCPS has to offer,” said Mayor Vincent. C. Gray. “They’re devoted to their students and they’re helping change their students’ lives. I am so proud of their hard work and I congratulate them on this exceptional achievement.”

“As the Ward 5 Councilmember, I could not be prouder of Mr. Pinder and Ms. Harrod for their incredible accomplishments. I imagine that this is also a proud moment for the parents and students of McKinley and John Burroughs.  What a great day for our Ward 5 education community,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.  “We look forward to building on the successes of Mr. Pinder and Ms.  Harrod.”

Mr. Pinder and Ms. Harrod will be honored on October 29th at the third-annual A Standing Ovation for DC Teachers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The event,  featuring national and local celebrities, will celebrate the nearly 1,000 DCPS educators who earned ratings of Highly Effective under the IMPACT educator evaluation system. All 123 DCPS principals will also be in attendance.    

David Pinder, Principal, McKinley Technology High School

David Pinder believes in empowering educators and students, in developing high performing professional learning communities, and in implementing strategies that drive incredible student achievement gains. Since beginning his education career in 1999 as a social studies teacher, he has served as principal, assistant principal, department chair, academy leader and AVID coordinator. Mr. Pinder’s accomplishments as a principal include being selected as an Education Champion by New Leaders for New Schools and America Achieves in 2010, 2011, and 2012; acting as an advisor to DCPS for the Mary Jane Patterson Fellowship Program; and serving as a Mentor Principal to three New Leaders residents. Most importantly, as principal of McKinley Technology High School since 2007, Mr. Pinder has transformed McKinley Tech into a positive learning environment that prepares students for success in college and in life. He has led a team of educators toward impressive gains in student achievement in both reading and math.

Under his leadership, McKinley students have advanced more than 30 percent in math proficiency and 20 percent in reading proficiency as measured by the DC CAS.  In 2012, the school reached the coveted 90/90 status: 91 percent of students scored proficient in reading and 92 scored proficient in math; 90 percent of students are minority.  Recently, the US Department of Education recognized McKinley Tech as a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School.

Hope Harrod, 5th Grade, Burroughs Education Campus

Hope Harrod began her teaching career in DCPS eleven years ago, and this year marks her fourth at Burroughs Education Campus. After studying history as an undergraduate, Ms. Harrod decided to pursue a master’s degree in education.

Ms. Harrod is constantly perfecting her craft through a variety of leadership roles and professional development opportunities. She mentors teachers through the DC Teaching Fellows Program, coordinates school book fairs, organizes mathematics labs for students after school, and has served as a faculty member for a research institute through the Teaching America History project where she helped high school history teachers integrate the use of primary sources in the classroom.

Ms. Harrod takes students on extraordinary adventures using literacy. Her class discussions are engaging and student centered. Ms. Harrod fosters relationships that "transform" students. She helps them connect with their strengths and teaches them how to use them in ways that catapult their learning.

On the 2012 DC CAS, 24 percent of students in Ms. Harrod’s class moved up one proficiency level in math and 40 percent of students moved up one proficiency level in reading. Burroughs, at the school level, also made tremendous gains, jumping 16 percentage points in math and 12 percentage points in reading.