AWSP Blog

Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell is the third winner of the Annalee Braley AWSP Membership Award. Cindy is a ray of light who gives back a tremendous amount to AWSP and school leaders across the state and country. Cindy is an award-winning leader, Solution Tree consultant, and frequent conference presenter. Her devotion to helping her fellow leaders, our association, and her dedication to students make her an easy choice to represent Annalee's legacy.

As we usher in February, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our Member Engagement Month – a month-long campaign dedicated to fostering connection, amplifying your voices, and providing you with exciting opportunities to shape the future of education for principals and assistant principals across the state. At AWSP, we believe that an engaged and active membership is the heartbeat of our professional association. It is your passion, dedication, and insights that drive positive change in the educational landscape. That's why we're rolling out a series of initiatives, blog posts, and weekly emails throughout the month to help you make the most of your membership.

The Association of Washington School Principals is honored to present AWSP member and friend Carlos Gonzalez as the second-ever Annalee Braley Membership Award winner. Carlos is the principal at McFarland Middle School in the Othello School District. The Annalee Braley Membership Award was created in 2022 to honor the memory of former AWSP Membership Coordinator Annalee Braley, who passed away tragically and unexpectedly in September 2021. Annalee started at AWSP when she was just 19 years old and was about to cross over to 32 years of service at AWSP in various roles. Annalee was one of the biggest reasons AWSP has the strongest membership in the country year after year.

Black women are the third most represented demographic for the principalship in Washington state. Knowing that, it is vital to create a brave space for black women to connect, support one another, and grow together for us to sustain ourselves in education. In response to a request from one of our leaders, AWSP created “Dear Sista,” an affinity group space for African American women leaders. The title Dear Sista is a tribute to Veronica Very’s book of poems that speaks to truth, healing, and supporting the sisterhood.

The Association of Washington School Principals is honored to present longtime AWSP member and friend Jim Eisenhardt with the first-annual Annalee Braley Membership Award. The award was officially presented to Jim during our annual luncheon at the AWSP/WASA Summer Conference in Spokane at the end of June.