District of Columbia Mayor Vincent C. Gray and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson today announced the 2012 Principal and Teacher of the Year. The Principal of the Year is David Pinder of McKinley Technology High School. The Teacher of the Year is Hope Harrod, a 5th grade teacher at Burroughs Education Campus. 

“I am thrilled to celebrate the spectacular achievements of Mr. Pinder and Ms. Harrod,” said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “Principal Pinder has helped turn McKinely Tech into the shining example of what we want every high school in DCPS to be. Ms. Harrod gives everything she has to her students, and has done that every day at DCPS for 11 years. Her peers and her school leaders consistently rave about all the wonderful ways in which she is making Burroughs a great place for students to learn.” 

“As the Ward 5 Councilmember, I could not be prouder of Mr. Pinder and Ms. Harrod for their incredible accomplishments. I imagine that this is also a proud moment for the parents and students of McKinley and John Burroughs.  What a day a great day for our Ward 5 education community,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.  “We look forward to building on the successes of Mr. Pinder and Ms.  Harrod.”

Mr. Pinder and Ms. Harrod will be honored on as the Excellence in Leadership Award winner and Excellence in Teaching Award winner respectively along with six outstanding DC teachers on Monday, October 29, 2012. This third annual A Standing Ovation for DC Teachers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The event,  featuring national and local celebrities, will celebrate the nearly 1,000 DCPS educators who earned ratings of Highly Effective under the IMPACT educator evaluation system.