Wednesday, October 4, 2000

By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@TheCitizenNews.com

Gordon Stuckert, principal of St. Paul Lutheran School in Peachtree City, joins 65 fellow principals in Washington, D.C. Friday for an awards banquet recognizing them as the 2000 National Distinguished Principals.

Selection was made by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Earlier this year, Stuckert was named 2000 National Distinguished Lutheran Principal for the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church, which oversees approximately 2,000 schools nationwide.

He and his wife depart for the nation's capital tomorrow for two days of meetings, seminars and receptions and the awards dinner and dance.

His excitement over his selection and upcoming trip is nothing short of ecstatic. Stuckert has thought through every detail, right down to the tux he plans to rent and have delivered to the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House. One can almost picture him jumping up and down, the moment he received the news.

Stuckert said modestly, "It's a nice recognition for the whole area."

Stuckert has guided St. Paul Lutheran School as its full-time administrator since its beginnings in 1996 when the facility opened with 10 students in a portable classroom to its current enrollment of 230 students in grades kindergarten through eight.

"When the school first opened, he was able to show the powers that be how the school would be successful, even when a massive debt was staring them in the face. He has created resources out of what others might perceive as thin air. To see that school become what it is becoming is the greatest testimony toward his use of available resources," wrote Dr. Ellinor Black White, principal of Christ Lutheran School in East Point, in her reference letter.

She also describes him as a "hoot." "He has a tremendous energy level that truly is contagious. He has an outstanding sense of humor that has been absolutely essential to survive," she wrote.

"In my 30-plus years of experience, I can honestly say that Gordon is one of the few simply outstanding administrators I've met."

In regard to Stuckert's instructional leadership, Mark Brink, executive director for school ministries in the Florida-Georgia District, wrote, "Mr. Stuckert serves as principal in a community where expectations are high. The success of the school is, in large part, a tribute to his determination to make St. Paul's the best school that it can possibly be."

David Boldt, the school's board chairman, called Stuckert "a thoughtful mentor to his teachers... he is willing to do whatever is necessary for the students and his teachers to succeed. He will shuffle his busy schedule to observe a child in the classroom, or help a teacher in an emergency. Mr. Stuckert puts children first in his ministry and that is what makes him a great Christian educator."

Aside from the high praise Stuckert earned from his colleagues, the students at St. Paul have a distinctly different view of what a principal does. A kindergarten child wrote, "They sometimes pat you on the head." Another said, "He works on papers really hard." A second grade student hit the nail on the head, stating, "It takes bravery and hard work to be a principal."

The 2000 National Distinguished Principals Program started in 1984 as an annual event to honor the exceptional leadership of elementary and middle school principals. There are 66 nominees, all elementary and middle school principals from each state and the District of Columbia, plus private K-8 schools and the departments of Defense and State schools overseas.

Each principal is nominated by peers in his or her state and selected by NAESP state affiliates. Honorees from private schools and overseas schools are selected by special committees. The criteria for choosing candidates require that the individual be a practicing principal of a school committed to excellence, with academic and social programs designed to meet all students' needs, and firm ties to parents and the community.

Richard W. Riley, U.S. secretary of education, will present each award winner with a plaque and brass school bell at the black-tie affair.

Stuckert's first job as an educator was at St. Peter Lutheran School in Chicago starting in 1969. He was a teacher, youth director and athletic coach. Between 1972 and 1986, he continued teaching and picked up administrative duties at St. Paul Lutheran School, also in Chicago. His move south came in 1986, when he served as a full-time administrator at The Lutheran School in Chattanooga. He remained there until 1996 when he relocated to Peachtree City and began developing St. Paul.

He received his B.A. degree from Concordia College in Illinois, as well as his M.A. He took doctoral level classes at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Ill.

Back to News Home Page | Back to the top of the page