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POSTED: Monday, Oct. 12, 2009

Nooksack Middle School has state assistant principal of the year

NOOKSACK - Dale Stopperan, the assistant principal at Nooksack Valley Middle School, has been named the 2010 state assistant principal of the year.

Stopperan, who has been with the Nooksack Valley School District for 14 years, will represent Washington in the national competition next year.

"It feels really nice," the 27-year educator said. "I've never aspired to be a rock star. I just wanted to be a rock, someone people could depend on and trust."

During Stopperan's time in the district, he's worn multiple hats. He's taught reading, math, leadership and physical education at the middle-school level. He moved up to the high school for three years to serve as the assistant principal there. He's also been the dean of students at Nooksack Valley Middle School and has finished up four years of being the assistant principal there.

He's been credited with leading the effort to increase math achievement at the school by helping with teacher and administration collaboration. The team of teachers and administrators redesigned how math is taught and have started a program in which struggling students are pre-taught the daily math lesson, allowing them to start class with a "jump up."

"It's not just about me, one person doesn't just make a school," he said. "It takes great parents, staff and students that really care about learning."

The state competition is organized by the Association of Washington School Principals, and the national program is organized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The national winner gets a $5,000 grant.