McCarthy received the award based on his accomplishments as an educational leader in the areas of personal excellence; collaborative leadership; curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and personalization.

In announcing McCarthy’s selection as 2010 Middle Level Principal of the Year, MPA Executive Director Richard Durost noted that “Mike McCarthy’s outstanding leadership and his unequivocal commitment to excellence in educating all students represent the very best qualities of the effective middle level principal in Maine and in the nation. With vision and commitment, he and the staff he leads embody the school’s mission which is to assure the success of each and every student with no exceptions.”

As Maine’s 2010 Middle Level Principal of the Year, McCarthy will be honored at the MPA’s Spring Conference awards banquet on April 29. He will also attend the Principals’ Institute to honor the 2010 State Principals of the Year scheduled for September 29-October 2, 2010 in Washington, DC and will be eligible for consideration as the 2011 National Middle School Principal of the Year. The Institute and the National Principal of the Year program is sponsored by MetLife/NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals).

McCarthy received a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire in 1973, a Master’s degree in educational administration from Salem [Massachusetts] State University in 1976, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from the University of Maine in 1987.

Prior to his appointment as principal of King Middle School in 1988, he was principal of Bonny Eagle Middle School in West Buxton from 1980-88 and assistant principal at Waterville High School from 1977-80. From 1973-77, he taught at Roberts Junior High School in Medford, Massachusetts.

McCarthy has been actively involved with the MPA with numerous presentations at annual conferences; as a presenter in Great Beginnings, the MPA’s orientation for novice administrators; and as the chair of committees with special assignments.

The author of numerous articles on school reform, McCarthy has given presentations throughout the United States and internationally. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor in the educational leadership program at the University of Southern Maine and a national faculty member for Expeditionary Learning.

McCarthy has also received numerous awards and honors. In 1996, he was Maine’s Principal of the Year (then a grades 6-12 award); in 1997, he was one of four finalists for NASSP’s National Principal of the Year award; and in 2008, he received the Maine Public Health Association’s Access to Health Care Award.

Maine Principals' Association Names 2010 Service to Maine Youth Awardees

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) has named Alan Duplessis of Jackman and Jean Roberts of Orono as the recipients of the MPA’s Service to Maine Youth Award. This award, which is given annually, recognizes individual adults who have made an outstanding contribution to the youth of Maine through education and/or the general welfare of Maine youth. As the 2010 Service to Maine Youth awardees, Duplessis and Roberts will be honored at the MPA’s Spring Conference awards banquet on April 29.

Located over fifty miles from the nearest Maine community, Jackman is a small, rural town, home to Alan Duplessis who is locally known for his service to the youth of Jackman, the Moose River Valley, and beyond. For more than ten years, he was worked with the Boy Scouts, supported children attending summer camps, has taken youth teams on leadership trips across the state and country, has provided jobs to developmentally disabled youth, mentored students, and has created scholarships for graduating seniors from Forest Hills Consolidated School to further their education.

Of special note is Duplessis’ critical involvement in the creation of Jackman’s Leadership Team that he currently chairs. This team meets monthly and is comprised of school staff, including the superintendent and principal; students; community business owners; municipal representatives; and countywide program representatives, including human service providers. The focus of this group is to provide the children of MSAD 12 with the supports necessary for success while at the same time modeling for them how to be active and contributing members of their community. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and building on a previous connection with a Louisiana school, Duplessis quickly organized the middle school Student Council, the district’s Leadership Team, and a vast group of volunteers in what became known as “From Jackman to Bogalusa.” This effort involved sending lumber and building materials to the Bogalusa School. On October 4, 2005, with a tumultuous send off from over 300 community members, a truckload of lumber and a cab loaded with school supplies, bottled water, and clothing, left Jackman for Louisiana. Duplessis, the chair of the school board, and a student personally accompanied the load to ensure safe delivery. Without a doubt, Duplessis touches the lives of youth in his community and beyond.

For the last seventeen years, Jean Roberts has been volunteering in the library at Leonard Middle School (LMS) in Old Town every day for the entire school day. Following a 30-year career as a high school English teacher, Roberts has made volunteering at LMS her second career. She is the first person to arrive at the school in the morning and is often the last to leave in the afternoon. At 7:00 a.m. each morning, she readies the library for opening, greeting and helping early morning staff members. She works continuously throughout the day, sometimes forgetting to take a lunch break. When not assisting students one-on-one, she performs many technical services such as using the computerized circulation system, preparing new books for circulation, tracking down overdue books, repairing books, shelving, and ordering new materials. In the absence of the librarian, she runs the library independently.

At age 86, Roberts maintains the energy and has the ability to capture the hearts and minds of students and staff. She models a love of learning, curiosity, compassion, civility, and a genuine desire to connect with others. In short, students respect her, and staff members love her. She knows the interests of each student and attends extra-curricular activities such as basketball games and choral concerts. She assists staff by correcting papers and helping to teach classes. She donates material and money for projects and classrooms in need. In short, she is truly an advocate in and out of school.

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) has named Dianne Helprin, Principal of Pemetic Elementary School in Southwest Harbor, as Maine’s 2010 Elementary National Distinguished Principal of the Year.

This award recognizes one elementary principal in Maine each year for effective leadership, a commitment to academic excellence, high expectations and standards, creating a culture that supports learning, contributions to the profession, and community service.

In announcing Helprin’s selection as 2010 Elementary National Distinguished Principal of the Year, MPA Executive Director Richard Durost noted that “Ms. Helprin’s outstanding leadership of a K-8 school and her commitment to excellence in educating all students represent the very best qualities of the effective elementary school principal in Maine. Her commitment is clear and unequivocal. She is a strong educational leader and role model, who has high expectations for school staff, students, and herself.”

As Maine’s 2010 Elementary National Distinguished Principal of the Year, Helprin will be honored at the MPA’s Spring Conference awards banquet on April 29. She will also be honored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in corporate partnership with VALIC in the fall of 2010 in Washington, DC.

Helprin received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education in 1985 and a Master of Science degree in educational administration in 1990 from the University of Akron [Ohio]. From 2000-2003, she participated in the Ohio Principals’ Leadership Academy.

Prior to her appointment as principal of Pemetic Elementary School in 2002, she was principal of South Lincoln Elementary School in Alliance, Ohio from 1997-2002. She was also assistant principal (1992-1997) and a seventh grade teacher (1990-1992) at State Street Middle School in Alliance. She began her teaching career (1985-1990) as a third and fourth grade teacher at Parkway Elementary School also in Alliance.

Helprin was a “pioneer” mentor/coach in the MPA’s Mentoring/Coaching Program for Principals. In this capacity, she worked with two novice principals over a four-year period. She is also tri-president of the Downeast Principals’ Association.

Helprin is also active in a number of community activities. She is a member of the Southwest Harbor Waste Management Committee and the Early Childhood Taskforce.

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