Whitewater Unified School District Superintendent Samuel L. Karns is one of 43 principals [in his case, former principal] from across the nation being honored in Washington, D.C. ceremony.
| Alexandria, VA, – Samuel L. Karns, [former] principal of Todd Elementary School [of Beloit], has been named as one of 43 exemplary elementary and middle-level principals from across the nation to receive the award of 2025 NAESP National Distinguished Principal (NDP) by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The pre-K-8 principals travel to the nation’s capital from Oct. 23 – 24, to participate in two days of events that culminate in an awards banquet to honor their accomplishments. The program is held at The Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C. [The following statement regarding Karns appears on the NAESP website: In his three years as principal of Todd Elementary School, Samuel Karns has helped transform school culture, restore academic achievement, and expand equitable access to health and wellness. At the start of his tenure, Todd Elementary was rated a one-star school for “failing to meet expectations.” Just three years later, the school has progressed to three-star status, exhibiting year-over-year growth in reading and math. To get there, Karns assembled a cross-disciplinary leadership team to synergize and clarify campus improvement goals, reorienting the school’s culture to embrace collective ownership of school improvement. By leading 100-day improvement cycles emphasizing inquiry, planning, action, monitoring, and reflection, Karns has supported staff in advancing consistent, data-based strategies while invigorating professional collaboration and shared leadership. Karns has also reached beyond the school to eliminate barriers to learning and advance whole-child initiatives at Todd. Under his leadership, the school’s PTO relaunched as “E3”–Engage, Educate, Empower–generating a variety of new initiatives to support parents and students, including a popular mothers’ support group. Karns also launched the Back to School Community Health Fair, which has served over 1,700 people in two years with free immunizations, vision screenings, and other health services. Karns holds a Superintendent Licensure from Concordia University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.] “School principals continue to show exceptional adaptability and creativity in meeting the changing needs of students and staff,” said NAESP Executive Director L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE. “The 2025 NAESP NDPs exemplify this resilience and leadership well beyond the status quo. Congratulations to this outstanding class of deserving school leaders.” Since 1984, the NDP program has recognized public and private school principals who make superior contributions to their schools and communities and has given them the opportunity to share best practices with each other. NAESP state affiliates selected these 43 principal honorees, who join 2,364 principals before them who have also been recognized as NAESP NDPs. It is particularly fitting to acknowledge the work of principals in October because it is National Principals Month, which was established to recognize and honor the contributions of school principals toward the success of the nation’s students and encourage awareness of their significance. Criteria for selection of the principals require that the honorees are active principals of schools where programs are designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students and where there are firmly established community ties with parents and local business organizations. |
| About NAESP – Principals are the primary catalysts for creating lasting foundations for learning. Since 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has been the leading advocate for elementary and middle level principals in the United States and worldwide. NAESP advances the profession by developing policy, professional learning, and resources for instructional leadership including specialized support and mentoring for early career principals. Key focus areas include pre-K-3 education, school safety, technology and digital learning, and effective educator evaluation. For more information about NAESP, visit naesp.org. Editor’s note: The photo on the homepage is courtesy of Tom Ganser. |
