NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2016
Aurora Public Schools Leader Named Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year for Colorado
Jennifer Buster, Assistant Principal of Crawford Elementary School in Aurora Public Schools, has been named one of the 2016 Outstanding Assistant Principals of the Year for Colorado by the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) and a committee of her peers from the Colorado Association of Elementary School Principals (CAESP).
Upon being notified of this honor, Buster stated, “I am incredibly honored and humbled to be recognized as a CASE 2016 Assistant Principal of the Year. I share this award with all of the staff, students and families at Crawford Elementary and thank them for their kindness, support and guidance. I am both grateful and blessed to represent such an amazing community of learners.”
An educator for over 18 years, Buster is in her fifth year as assistant principal at Crawford Elementary School. In this role, Buster has helped to reshape student success and initiate tangible change. Described as a dedicated and selfless leader, Buster has been critical to the turnaround story of Crawford Elementary. After witnessing students struggling with literacy among the younger grades, Buster was instrumental in creating a new reading initiative program that included a plan for implementation, updated phonological instruction, professional development for teachers and progress monitoring for students.
Of the success of this program, Crawford Elementary Principal Jennifer Passchier, the 2015 recipient of the National Distinguished Principal of the Year Award for Colorado, said, “Our staff is now more knowledgeable of reading foundational skills, and the impact is evident through our students’ reading and writing…Ms. Buster’s leadership was instrumental in this celebration.”
Buster also recognized that to better help students meet the vision that “every Crawford student is an engaged individual who shapes a successful future,” Crawford Elementary needed a truly dedicated and trained staff of educators. Working in collaboration with administrators and staff at Crawford Elementary, Buster not only improved professional development, but helped to establish a rigorous hiring process that resulted in a staff fully committed to Crawford students and their needs.
Superintendent of Aurora Public Schools Rico Munn said, “Assistant Principal Jennifer Buster is a champion of the amazing work staff members do every day to support Crawford students and families. It is an honor to be able to celebrate the hard work and dedication exemplified by Jenny and her colleagues at Crawford.”
Crawford Elementary School is an urban school located in Aurora and is part of the Adams/Arapahoe 28J - Aurora Public Schools District. With 650 students in pre-kindergarten to fifth grade, Crawford Elementary serves a diverse student population of which 90 percent of students receive free or reduced-price meals and approximately 25 percent of students come from refugee backgrounds. Buster, along with the staff of Crawford Elementary, works tirelessly to meet the ever-changing needs of these students.
“We know that the relationship between principals and the school community is a powerful one, and CASE is proud to recognize the outstanding efforts of Jennifer Buster and to honor her as a leader in Colorado education,” CASE Executive Director Bruce Caughey said. “Her work as Assistant Principal directly impacts and positively influences the students of Crawford Elementary— she is an inspiration for those endeavoring to deliver on the promise of public education.”
Buster was selected for this honor by her peers through a rigorous and competitive process facilitated by the Colorado Association of Elementary School Principals (CAESP), a department of CASE and affiliate of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year program is sponsored by CAESP, CASE and McGraw Hill Education.
The award recognizes the exceptional leadership of those responsible for the day-to-day operations of PreK-8 schools. By recognizing the efforts of these leaders in education, the award instills pride in their accomplishments and reinforces their leadership in helping children develop a lifelong love of learning.
CASE and CAESP will formally present Buster with her award at an upcoming school event. She and other CASE award winners also will be recognized at an awards ceremony this spring, as well as at the 47th Annual CASE Education Leadership Convention this summer in Breckenridge.
About CASE: The Colorado Association of School Executives (www.co-case.org) is the preeminent professional association for public school administrators in Colorado. The organization’s mission is to empower Colorado education leaders through advocacy, professional learning and networking to deliver on the promise of public education.
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