In case you missed it, Sarasota County Schools recently announced that Pine View School’s Dr. Stephen Covert has been selected as the district’s Principal of the Year, and Brookside Middle School’s Ms. Jessica Fuesy has been selected as the district’s Assistant Principal of the Year. Dr. Covert and Ms. Fuesy are now in the running for Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year, respectively, at the state level!

The Florida Department of Education’s Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership (Principal of the Year) was established in 1988 to recognize Florida principals for their contributions to their schools and communities. FDOE’s Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award (Assistant Principal of the Year) was established in 1997 to honor assistant principals that have utilized teamwork and leadership to increase student achievement and greatly improved school environments. Florida’s Commissioner of Education, Manny Diaz, Jr., will announce three state-level finalists for each award this coming spring. The finalist for each award will be revealed in the coming summer.

Sarasota County Schools has received two prior Florida Principal of the Year awards. Alta Vista Elementary School’s Dr. Barbara Shirley (Ret.) received the honor in 2014, and Booker High School’s Dr. Rachel Shelley received the honor in 2017.

Dr. Stephen Covert has been an educator for 30 years. Dr. Covert received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature / Geography from Mary Washington College and his master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University. He received his philosophy doctorate in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Before assuming his role as the Principal of Pine View School, Dr. Covert served as the Executive Director of Human Resources for Spotsylvania County Schools, as well as the Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Human Resources and the Director of the Office of Human Resources, both for Spotsylvania County Public Schools. He has also served as the Principal of Ni River Middle School, a Collateral Faculty member of the Central Virginia Leadership Academy at Virginia Commonwealth University, and an Instructor in the Spotsylvania Career Switcher Program – Teacher Licensure for Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Additionally, Dr. Covert has served as the Interim Principal and Assistant Principal of Ni River Middle School; an Assistant Principal and Intern Assistant Principal at Chancellor High School; a Spanish teacher at Thornburg, Spotsylvania Middle Schools; an Intern Assistant Principal at Spotsylvania Middle School; and a Spanish teacher at Spotsylvania High School. He has an Administrative and Supervisory Certification from the Central Virginia Leadership Academy & is a Certified Mediator through the Mediation Institute International.

Ms. Jessica Fuesy received her bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Mathematics Education from Florida State University and has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University. Before assuming her role as the Assistant Principal at Brookside Middle School, Ms. Fuesy served as an Assistant Principal at Raa Middle School, where she conducted formal and informal teacher observations, highlighted areas of development & ways to support school initiatives, and worked with beginning and struggling teachers to help increase learning in the classroom, among other duties. She has also served as the Dean of Curriculum (Teacher, Resource) at Montford Middle School and a Project Manager for the Superintendent’s Office in the Leon County School District. Additionally, Ms. Fuesy has served as a 7th grade intensive, 8th grade regular, 8th grade advanced, and Geometry Honors teacher at Cobb Middle School, as well as a mathematics teacher for Godby High School’s Summer Algebra EOC Academy.

Please see below for links to digital assets:

YouTube – Principal of the Year video

YouTube –Assistant Principal of the Yearvideo

OneDrive – Videos without music (SCS_PrincipalAssistantPrincipaloftheYear2022). This link will expire on 11/30/22

OneDrive – Photos (Principal-AssistantPrincipal-oftheyear). This link will expire on 11/30/22