AWSP
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


AWSP 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 National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) National Outstanding Assistant Principal. The secondary winner will represent our state for National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National Assistant Principal of the Year award.

2024 Winners


2024 Washington State Elementary
Assistant Principal of the Year

Nick_Davies_WEBSITE_ALT

Dr. Nick Davies
Eisenhower and Ogden Elementary Schools
Vancouver PS

Dr. Nick Davies, assistant principal at both Ogden and Eisenhower Elementary Schools in the Vancouver School District, was named the 2024 Washington State Assistant Principal of the Year. In addition, he will represent Washington as our state’s winner of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) National Outstanding Assistant Principal award. NAESP recognizes one winner from each state every year.

Dr. Davies has been an assistant principal for four years and shows up every day with the purpose of having “a positive impact on people’s lives so that they can become the best they are capable of becoming”, and he shares his educational leadership knowledge with others as a writer of widely published articles. A parent who nominated  Dr. Davies described him as “an approachable and humble community leader by encouraging and engaging his staff and students to create a thriving environment for all.”

In July, Dr. Davies will attend the NAESP 2024 UNITED Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where he will be recognized for his achievement.

2024 Washington State Secondary
Assistant Principal of the Year

Heidi-Fagerness_WEBSITE

Heidi Fagerness
Chehalis Middle School
 Chehalis School District 

Heidi Fagerness, assistant principal at Chehalis Middle School in the Chehalis School District, was named the 2024 Washington State Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. Fagerness will also be recognized nationally by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), where she will compete with winners from other states for the NASSP’s National Assistant Principal of the Year award, announced in early April. 

Fagerness has been an assistant principal for six years, and she shows up every day with the “intention of serving others through my head, hands, and heart.” Chehalis Middle School principal Chris Simpson describes Fagerness as “highly effective in promoting and creating a positive culture at CMS.” 

In April, Fagerness will be honored at NASSP's Trailblazing weekend with winners from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, and the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools. 



2025 APOY Nominations

Process

  • Application opens
  • AWSP checks eligibility of each nominee and communicates with each about their nomination.
  • Eligible nominees are sent an application to complete.
  • AWSP 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 February. ANYONE can nominate!
  • We will accept nominations through mid-April.
  • Our Washington State Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year winner will complete their application for the NASSP National Principal of the Year by December.
  • Our Washington State Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year winner will complete their application for the NAESP National Distinguished Principal by February.

Nominate Now

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?