2008 National Middle School Principal of the Year - James S. Dierke

James. S. Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco Unified School District, was awarded the 2008 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. His selection as an outstanding principal is based on changing the school’s climate, building teams, spearheading reform, and collaborating with community members.
James Dierke has worked with the faculty and students to develop a strong sense of leadership, ownership, and pride in the school, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “an island of safety in a sea of trouble.” Congratulations to Mr. Dierke and Visitacion Valley, a model GEAR UP middle school.

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Newsletter Credits

Joann Zgonc - Publication Coordinator
Bernadette Ramirez - Executive Assistant
Tarik Assagai - ACS Digital Media

Regional Coordinators

Sandy Carpenter-Stevenson	Vance Mills
Shirley A. Cunningham	Gina Rodriguez
Frank Holmes	Robert Van Zant
Donald Mar	Joann Zgonc

In This Issue

A VOICE FOR ALL STUDENTS - An Interview with Russlynn Ali
Russlynn Ali is Vice President of the Education Trust and founding director of the Education Trust-W...

Notes From the GEAR UP Director Shelley Davis
Happy New Year!2007 presented many exciting opportunities for middle schools across California. To e...

2008 National Middle School Principal of the Year - James S. Dierke
James. S. Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco Unified School Distr...

California GEAR UP Staff Professional Development Pairings
By Vance Mills, School-Based ManagerAt the 2007 GEAR UP staff retreat, team members were paired up t...

Principal and Leadership Team Institute, Berkeley - October 3, 2007
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Principal and Leadership Team Institute, Pasadena - October 17, 2007
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Principal and Leadership Team Institute, Pasadena - October 24, 2007
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LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE
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Profile of Student Success
Educational Trust Award Winner Enrolls at University of California San DiegoReceiving a GEAR UP Educ...

What Does a College Corner Look Like?
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Two GEAR UP Schools to Join the Partnership for LA Schools
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Upcoming Events for 2008
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Check It Out !
Attention Middle School Students and Families!The Internet is one of the best ways to research both...

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