News Release

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

Lincoln Center, Merritt Mill Road

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

(919) 967-8211

Contact: Kim B. Hoke, ext. 227

Gail Turner, 968-3473

Linda Morris, Principal, Cornelius Elementary School, Charlotte

Mecklenburg Schools, 704.343.3905 or lm.morris@cms.k12.nc.us

Linda Sheer, Glenwood Second Grade Teacher, ext. 251

Gail McIlwain, 929-9532

Maria Palmer, 932-4818

May 9, 2003

Glenwood Principal Selected NC's Distinguished Principal

Gail H. Turner, principal of Glenwood Elementary School, has been selected as North Carolina's National Distinguished Principal in an awards program sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the U.S. Office of Education.

Turner, who has been principal of Glenwood since 1994, followed a series of five principals in ten years. As a part of the nomination, she is credited by teachers with establishing a sense of community within the school.

"This award is an affirmation of what all of us already know here at Glenwood; Gail is a tireless advocate for all children and works hard to ensure the culture and community of Glenwood are positive and conducive to learning," said assistant principal Shawn Stover.

Supt. Neil Pedersen commended Turner's leadership of the school.

"She has been receptive to changes and innovations as indicated by the recently implemented and highly successful Dual Language Program and her advocacy for designing instruction that authentically engages students to produce high quality student work products," he said.

"She has embraced the Visiting International Faculty program, which has brought to Glenwood some different perspectives on the teaching process," he added.

"Gail would be the first one to deflect the credit for these and many other accomplishments to her faculty, staff, students, and parent community. As we all know, progress is made only to the extent that we can work together as a team toward commonly accepted goals. Gail has provided quality leadership and vision that has helped Glenwood reach even greater heights," Pedersen noted.

Parents echoed that observation. "There is a strong collegial atmosphere there--one where teachers and staff are praised and recognized for jobs done well and where parents, teachers and administrators work closely together for the common good of the children," said former Glenwood parent Gail McIlwain.

"She has a way of putting people at ease that helps build coalitions," added Maria Palmer, a member of the State Board of Education.

"Always positive and with the attitude that "we can work through this together," she has helped her school become a real community of learning," Rev. Palmer added.

Glenwood Elementary enrolls 450 Pre-K through 5th grade students who represent 28 different countries. English is the second language of more than 20 percent of the student population.

"The National Distinguished Principal Award Program seeks to identify and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of principals throughout the United States. It is truly an honor to be chosen to represent the wonderful cadre of North Carolina principals and it is truly an event that you will never forget!" stated Linda Morris, North Carolina NAESP State Representative and North Carolina's NDP for 2000.

"She has made children from all countries and socio-economic classes feel welcome and part of the Glenwood family," said McIlwain.

The school was chosen for an innovative Dual Language Program in English and Mandarin (Chinese) which began this year with kindergartners.

In the past three years, the school has been cited as a School of Excellence and a School of Distinction.

Prior to coming to Glenwood, Turner was assistant principal of Richlands Elementary School in Jacksonville. She has taught grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Onslow County and in Laurel Bay, South Carolina. She was selected Chapel Hill-Carrboro Principal of the Year in 1998 and was Teacher of the Year at Morton Elementary School in 1989. She holds a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master's degree in education from East Carolina University. She completed the UNC Principals' Executive Program in 1995.

She will be honored as a National Distinguished Principal in November in Washington, DC.

The National Distinguished Principals Program was established in 1984 to recognize exemplary elementary and middle school principals. The awards program calls attention to the importance of the school principal in achieving educational excellence.

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