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51¸£ÀûÉç
Banner for the Assistant Principal of the Year Award featuring a gold trophy on the left with text in bold. ‘ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’ is in dark blue, while ‘OF THE YEAR’ is in teal, set against a light teal background with a dark blue border at the bottom.

Washington Assistant Principal of the Year Award

51¸£ÀûÉç is a K-12 organization, and we recognize two winners, one elementary assistant principal and one secondary assistant principal, as our Washington State Assistant Principals of the Year. The elementary winner will represent Washington at the national level as our . The secondary winner will represent our state for award.



2025 Winners


2025 Washington State Elementary
Assistant Principal of the Year

Smiling bald man in a white shirt and blue striped tie stands in a school hallway with bulletin boards and classrooms.


Dr. James West
Cascade Elementary
Kennewick School District

Read the Press Release

2025 Washington State Secondary
Assistant Principal of the Year

Smiling man in a light sweater and lanyard stands in front of a red display case featuring colorful student artwork.


Terry Jess
Juanita High School
Lake Washington School District

Read the Press Release

2026 Nominations for APOY Now Open!


Process

  • Nomination window opens.
  • 51¸£ÀûÉç checks eligibility of each nominee and communicates with each about their nomination.
  • Eligible nominees are sent an application to complete.
  • 51¸£ÀûÉç selection committee scores applications and makes selections.
  • Winners/districts are notified.
  • State winners complete an application for the national associations' awards and are honored at their respective events.

Timelines

  • Nominations open in April. ANYONE can nominate!
  • We will accept nominations through the end of May.
  • Nominees can apply through the end of August.
  • The selection committee selects a winner to be announced in October during National Principals Month.
  • State winners complete the national application packet.

Anyone can nominate someone for our Assistant Principal of the Year award!

Do you  have an amazing assistant principal you'd like to nominate? Please nominate them by May 31, 2025.



National Recognition

For national recognition, our Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year will represent us for the NAESP National Outstanding Assistant Principal award. Our Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year will represent us for the National Association of Secondary School Principals Assistant Principal of the Year award. From all the state winners, NASSP will name one National Assistant Principal of the Year during National Assistant Principals Week, the first week of April.

National Association of
Elementary School Principals

  • Every year one amazing assistant principal will represent Washington for NAESP's National Outstanding Assistant Principal Program (NOAP).
  • NAESP honors assistant principals from around the country and does not select a national winner. 
  • Applications for the NOAP program are due in February.
  • Winners are recognized at the  joint NAESP/NASSP UNITED Conference in July.

National Association of
Secondary School Principals

  • One amazing assistant principal will represent Washington for NASSP's National Assistant Principal of the Year program (NAPOY) each year.
  • NASSP NAPOY applications are due in December. 
  • From the state representatives, NASSP selects three finalists and one national winner. 
  • The winner will be selected and recognized during National AP Week, at the NASSP Trailblazing weekend in Washington, DC. 

Past Winners

View past Assistant Principal of the Year winners. 

Principal of the Year

Looking for info about recognition and timelines for our Principal of the Year?

POY Recognition