Marion County Public Schools has announced the newest recipients of the Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year honors in Marion County.
On its Facebook page, MCPS stated that West Port High School’s Ginger Cruze has been recognized as Marion County’s 2023 Principal of the Year.
Cruze has been an MCPS employee for 33 years, and she has served as the principal at West Port High School, the district’s largest high school, for the last six years. According to MCPS, her peers describe her as a “change agent,” and she provides leadership in continuous improvement and constantly creates a culture of high expectations for her students and staff.
Cruze’s supervisor and peers nominated her because of her adaptability to encourage innovation and share her knowledge with others.
Harbour View Elementary School’s Jennifer Pollard has been named Marion County’s 2023 Assistant Principal of the Year.
Pollard has served MCPS students for 18 years, and the last seven years have been spent as an assistant principal. According to MCPS, her peers describe her as a leader who sees student learning as a top priority, and she shares her knowledge with others.
MCPS added that Pollard assisted with putting systems in place to identify and use staff member expertise to develop targeted professional development for her faculty and staff.
Both Cruze and Pollard are now Marion County’s nominees for the state competition to determine Florida’s Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year.
“Thank you both for your leadership and dedication to helping every student succeed,” stated MCPS in a social media post. “Your talents are invaluable, and we are proud to have you as part of our MCPS family.”
For more information, visit the Florida Department of Education’s Recognition Programs webpage.