The Alliance for Education and Seattle Public Schools announced today that Principal Anitra Pinchback-Jones of Rainier View Elementary School has received the Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence, a prestigious annual award for Seattle Public Schools principals who have demonstrated significant achievements in closing opportunity gaps in their schools. The award was presented at Rainier View’s Monday morning assembly.
Lisa Chick, President & CEO of the Alliance for Education; Seattle Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Stephen Nielsen; Executive Directors Heather Eberts and Sarah Pritchett; Dr. Keisha Scarlett of Seattle Public Schools; Principal Mia Williams; friends and family; and Jody Foster of the Foster family joined the Monday morning assembly at Rainier View to surprise Principal Pinchback-Jones with the Foster Award. Rainier View Elementary School will receive a $25,000 cash grant in recognition of Pinchback-Jones’ achievement.
One of the most diverse school in Washington State, Rainier View Elementary leads in school attendance and has placed in the top 5% in raising academic achievement in reading and math over the last five years. The school has excelled in college and career readiness under the leadership of Principal Pinchback-Jones and Rainier View staff. The Puget Sound Educational Service District awarded Rainier View with the “School of Distinction” award in 2016, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction recognized the school with the “Washington Achievement Award.
“Principal Pinchback-Jones is an exemplary leader who embodies the qualities the Foster Award is designed to recognize – excellence, innovation, passion for progress, and commitment to kids and community. We were so delighted to present the Foster Award to Anitra this morning in recognition of her hard work and dedication to the students at Rainier View.” – Lisa Chick, President & CEO, Alliance for Education.
Thomas B. Foster was a prominent Seattle attorney who exemplified excellence in both his professional life and his role as civic leader. To honor his legacy, his family and friends established this annual award in 2000 to recognize outstanding school principals in Seattle. The Foster Endowment Committee and Seattle Public Schools’ staff work together to select winners based on community nominations and school-related data. The award is administered by the Alliance for Education.
Historically, the Foster Award was offered only once a year to secondary-level principals in Seattle Public Schools. Beginning this year, the Award’s focus is on principals closing opportunity gaps in their school communities, and has expanded to be available to all principals K-12. Four Foster Awards will be presented this year; Principal Pinchback-Jones’ was the second, following an award last week to Principal Rena Deese at Alki Elementary. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, two Foster Awards will be presented annually.
To learn more about the Thomas B. Foster Award, please visit https://www.alliance4ed.org/connect-with-us/awards-scholarships/. For more information, including details on how to cover our future events, please contact Zeynab Abdulqadir, (206) 205-0324.