Principal of the Year!

People don’t become educators for the accolades – they do it because they have a deep love for helping young people reach their potential.

That's certainly true for Spanaway Middle School Principal Shannon Leatherwood, whose devotion to students was recognized this January when she was named Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year.

Leatherwood has been a principal for 12 years, with the last five of those at Spanaway Middle School. Over those years she has developed two fundamental goals: Always do what's best for students, and if something isn’t sustainable, it’s not worth doing.

A tireless advocate for students, Leatherwood leads by example and serves with her whole heart, creating a culture of inclusivity, support, and pride in students, staff, and community while maintaining a high standard of academic excellence. In her time at Spanaway Middle School, she has built a strong and collaborative leadership team, increased the school's inclusionary practices, created better access to quality learning, improved school and student safety by growing restorative practices and strengthening support systems. This was all done by providing the right professional development for the school’s staff to grow their individual and collective efficacy.

Even as she was being singled out as the best in state, Leatherwood was quick to share her award with the SMS staff.

“I’m very shocked. The staff have worked hard, and this is just a representation of Spanaway Middle School and the staff,” she said. “I think the focus on culture in our building is what makes us special. We know that relationships drive student learning. Making sure our students feel that sense of belonging, that’s the key.”

Spanaway Middle has thrived under Leatherwood’s leadership. In fact, only one of Washington’s 541 middle schools saw more growth in their test scores than Spanaway Middle. For all those reasons and more, Leatherwood is a deserving winner.

“We are so excited to see Shannon recognized as Secondary Principal of the Year for the state. Shannon is an amazing leader who has demonstrated the ability to truly be the learning leader of her school in a way that results in both improved school culture and increased student achievement,” said Dr. Brian Lowney, Bethel’s Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools. “Shannon is an outstanding representation of the fantastic principals, teachers, and staff who are dedicated to serving the students and families in Bethel.”