Last week, The Alliance for Education and Seattle Public Schools announced that South Lake High School Principal Barbara Moore is the recipient of the 2014 Thomas B. Foster Award for Excellence.
Moore received the award at a school assembly last Friday. As a result of winning the award, South Lake High School, which is an alternative high school serving some of the city’s most at-risk students, will receive a $50,000 cash grant.
Moore has devoted much of her life to serving the highest-need populations in Seattle. She has been the Principal of South Lake for 15 years, where a quarter of the student body are teen parents, 85 percent are on free or reduced lunch and many are high school drop-outs who have made the brave decision to return to school.
“This is an unconventional and courageous choice by the Foster Endowment Trustees,” said Sara Morris, President and CEO of the Alliance for Education. “Barbara Moore has dedicated her life to our neediest students – sometimes literally rescuing them. She is known as a leader fiercely devoted to her students, zealous about guiding her faculty to identify and meet the needs of each individual child, and readily available to mentor principal colleagues throughout SPS. Through her we can see the impact that stable, courageous leadership can have on every student.”
Thomas B. Foster was a prominent Seattle attorney who exemplified excellence in both his professional life and his role as civic leader. To honor his legacy, his family and friends established this annual award in 2000 to recognize outstanding secondary school principals in Seattle.
