BOTHELL — David Jones, principal at Cedar Wood Elementary School, has been selected as Snohomish County’s Elementary School Principal of the Year.
He is one of 18 elementary school principals statewide to be selected for the honor by the Association of Washington School Principals.
Jones, 61, will compete for a statewide award. Washington’s winner then will be entered into a national competition.
Jones began his career in 1974, working over the years as an elementary, middle and high school teacher and as a school counselor.
He joined the Everett School District in 1993 and worked as a principal at Eisenhower Middle School before being named as Cedar Wood’s principal. This is his seventh year at Cedar Wood.
The school, at 3414 168th St. SE in Bothell, has nearly 600 students and a staff of 29 teachers.
Jones said the the school has worked hard to build a strong relationship with parents to share a commitment for student learning.
These efforts include a Watchdog program that encourages dads, uncles, grandfathers, older brothers and interested male community members to volunteer at the school.
The program began four years ago after the school analyzed who was volunteering.
“We recognized quickly it was the fathers of our students who were not participating at the same level as the mothers,” Jones said.
The school invited every father to volunteer at least one day at the school each year. The volunteers partner with teachers to give extra help to students with tasks such as working on multiplication tables, reviewing spelling lists and mastering computer programs.
They experience a school environment of rigor and high expectations for the students, Jones said.
This is just one example of the ways parents and other volunteers assist at the school, he said.
“Almost without exception, at the end of the day, fathers seek me out and say, ‘I had no idea how hard students work in school these days. I had no idea how hard it is to be a teacher,’” Jones said.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
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