Celebrate this year’s Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence recipients: Principal Winet at Nova High School and Principal Lam at Rising Star Elementary School.
The Alliance for Education, the local education fund for the Seattle Public School district, awarded two principals the 2024 Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence, each receiving a $25,000 award grant for their schools. This school year’s award recipients are Principal Eyva Winet at Nova High School and Principal Huyen Lam at Rising Star Elementary School.
The largest of a few awards the Alliance stewards, the Foster Award recognizes and honors two outstanding Seattle Public Schools principals who have demonstrated success in advancing educational justice and racial equity in their school community. Given to SPS principals since 1999, the endowed award commemorates Thomas B. Foster, a prominent Seattle attorney who displayed a strong personal commitment to public education. The award is unrestricted, giving school staff additional funding outside of a traditional school budget to best serve their students’ needs.
“We are proud to celebrate Principal Lam and Principal Winet’s outstanding contributions to their school communities. These two exemplify dedication and positive leadership, and the tremendous impact they have made on their school communities is evident,” said Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent at Seattle Public Schools. “They are creating the conditions for all students to thrive and setting the standard for excellence in education.”
Rising Star PTA members shared during the nomination process how Principal Lam has focused on making school a place where students and families feel a sense of belonging because of the intentional hiring of a diverse team of educators and that their culture and language is reflected in academics. This is evident in learning demonstrated on standardized tests by students furthest from educational justice increasing scores by up to 18% in core subjects (OSPI, 2021-22 to 2022-23 SY change).
“Coming from a family of immigrants and many siblings, I know the hard work of equity and justice can’t be done alone. And so, to me, this award really shows that our Rising Star team comes together with teacher efficacy as we work on behalf of families and students,” said Huyen Lam, Principal at Rising Star Elementary School. “I’m excited to see the results reflected in our students’ data that support the joy they experience in learning, the ways families engage with us, and how our staff work hard together as a team. This award means a lot to our Rising Star community and will really make an impact on our students.”
An outpour of nominations from students, staff and parents highlighted how Principal Winet maximizes resources and uses innovative methods to meet students where they are. Students also noted how Principal Winet is a positive role model and advocate for advancing LGBTQIA+ and gender justice causes, creating a school environment where over 97% of students attend 90% or more of school days.
“Our dedication to liberatory education is authentic and grown from our whole community’s evolving inquiry into education as a container for our mutual liberation. It shouldn’t be, but it often feels like an audacious dream in public schools, so this honor reminds us we are not alone in this vision,” said Eyva Winet, Principal at Nova High School. “We heal, grow, create and govern as a community so I don’t tend to think of myself as an award-winning principal leader, so it was surprising and a little embarrassing to get this kind of an award. Being recognized and funded for this work enables us to continue to replace carceral practices with transformative practices, which we see daily changing students, staff, families and our community partners capacity for healing, learning and acting on their own freedom dreams.”
“We are so proud to honor Principal Lam and Principal Winet for their unwavering commitment to advancing racial equity and educational justice with this year’s Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence. Their visionary leadership and dedication have positively transformed their schools, and they set a powerful example for school communities across the region,” said Lisa Chick, President at Alliance for Education. “By fostering inclusive learning environments and focusing on the success of students furthest from educational justice, they are paving the way for a brighter, more equitable future in public education. The work of transforming public education takes time. Now in its 25th year, this award is an ongoing effort to recognize and uplift our Seattle school leaders’ remarkable efforts and results.”
Foster awardees were selected based on colleague and community nominations alongside demonstrating growth in school building level data metrics like equity & antiracism school climate surveys, district college & career readiness goals, and standardized test proficiency in math and English language arts.
About the Alliance for Education
The Alliance for Education is an independent, local education fund that has worked in partnership with Seattle Public Schools since 1995 to address crucial challenges facing Seattle students, families and educators. Our mission is to support excellence in education by advancing educational justice and racial equity for students in Seattle Public Schools. Our work is collaborative as we seek to address systemic inequities in public schools and create a more equitable and just education system that allows all Seattle students to thrive.