Host Austin Jenkins sits down for an interview with Washington’s 2024 Elementary School Principal of the Year, Dr. Cathy Sork of Dorothy Fox Elementary in Camas.
Sork has been principal at Dorothy Fox Elementary in Camas for 18 years. She’s grateful for the longevity and thinks it makes a difference in success for school administrators, teachers and students – yet, she says, the value of longevity is often overlooked, and one in four principals are at a school less than five years. “What principals do, and their commitment, makes a difference … with the right resources I feel like we can make a difference in the achievement of every kid in that school. And there’s a lot of research coming out that backs that up.”
One thing Sork is known for: Encouraging student leadership. Being recruited into student leadership while she was in school was a game-changer for Sork, leading her to eventually become a teacher and principal. Now, she encourages it at her own school, and remains personally involved at Dorothy Fox. “The best meeting I have all week is with the students.”
A big challenge facing schools? “We’re trying to add more things to the plate, but the plate is really full … sometimes things need to come off the plate.”
Her advice to state legislators? “I would advise every lawmaker to have a principal buddy,” who they can call as needed.
Other issues on the table during the interview: the recent school shooting in Georgia; the lasting impacts of COVID on students; the gap in readiness for kindergarten; more funding for special education, but also ever more need; the pressures of being a principal, and the need for mentoring relationships; absenteeism; reaching marginalized kids; recruiting a more diverse teaching staff; the emotional health of kids, the impacts of social media and the presence of cell phones; AI in the classroom; and more.
