During Tuesday evening’s school board meeting, LCS Superintendent Scott Brabrand was recognized with a special award from the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals.
VAESP Executive Director Jim Baldwin was joined by LCS principals to honor Dr. Brabrand with the organization’s Pathfinder Award.
“VAESP presents this award in recognition of those individuals in Virginia who have provided exceptional educational leadership, made significant contributions to educational reform, and who have, by their deeds, enhanced the quality of education for the children of their divisions,” stated Mr. Baldwin in his remarks.
VAESP has 1,100 members and presents the award to only one individual each year.
Mr. Baldwin referenced Dr. Brabrand’s movement toward a new vision and mission as well as the execution of the Comprehensive Plan built around Achievement, Behavior, and Culture that “laid the foundation for the improvements you have seen in graduation rates, increased enrollment in AP courses increased parental involvement and decreases in truancy and suspensions” within LCS.
The award was initiated by former William Marvin Bass Elementary School principal Leverne Marshall, who is now a secondary principal. Derrick Womack, principal of Sandusky Elementary School, represented LCS principals in carrying forward this nomination.
“Dr. Brabrand has come to LCS with a mission of meeting each student’s individual needs,” Mr. Womack said. “Since that time he’s implemented changes that are designed to meet the needs of every student. During his leadership, we have seen improvements in parent involvement, student suspensions as well as programs that are designed to meet needs the needs of each child. He is working to meet the children where they are, with the same high expectations regardless of where they are. I fully supported his nomination for the Pathfinder award for those reasons.”
“Dr. Brabrand, in the short time he has been with Lynchburg City Schools, has demonstrated that he is the epitome of an educational pathfinder,” Mr. Baldwin concluded.