A dedicated school leader is one who will do whatever it takes to ensure students succeed. One such leader is Jon Hurst, principal of Elsinore High School in Lake Elsinore USD, who has been named ACSA’s 2011 Secondary Principal of the Year. He is known as a leader whose greatest joy is to help others reach a goal, whether students or staff, and he keeps the end result in mind in every decision he makes.
Secondary educators are charged with the challenging task of preparing young people – teenagers, to be exact – for higher education and beyond. Secondary students are learning at high levels, face high-stakes assessments including the California High School Exit Exam and college-placement tests, and are preparing for their adult lives – both academically and emotionally. Ensuring the state’s high schools are competitive both nationally and internationally is crucial, as in improving adolescent literacy and graduation rates. In California, secondary leaders work closely with national affiliates to make these goals reality.