The Hernando County School District has nominated Westside Elementary School principal Kristina Stratton for the Florida Department of Education's Outstanding Leader of the Year award for 2016-17.
- Hernando schools nominates Kristina Stratton for Leader of the Year Award
- Stratton is principal at Westside Elementary in Spring Hill
- In her first year at school, statewide grade improved from D to B
- BN9 Education resources
After coming aboard at Westside in 2014, Stratton help guide the school from a school grade of "D" in 2014 to a "B" in 2015 and this year, despite the more rigorous formula for measuring student learning gains, Westside was able to maintain their "B" grade.
"Kristina is truly a gifted leader," said Hernando Superintendent Dr. Lori Romano. "She is able to build strong teams that work together to problem solve and drive change. We are proud to nominate Kristina as our Outstanding Leader of the Year and wish her much luck at the state level."
Prior to taking the helm at Westside, Stratton served as assistant principal at Winding Water K8 and Explorer K8.
Known for her ability to cultivate a positive school culture and empowering teachers to be leaders and changemakers, Stratton is also responsible for implementing a school wide technology plan involving interactive boards in every classroom, tablets in grades K-5, and the use of Google Docs to increase collaboration in the development of lesson plans and school documents.
"My role as the school leader has been and will continue to be to continuously motivate and support teachers, provide a steady focus, and make decisions based on what is best for students," Stratton said. "I know that I will continue to grow and learn in this ever-changing role and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead such an amazing group of educators."