Principal Kimberly Martin was selected as the 2019 District of Columbia State Principal of the Year. Martin will be honored this fall by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as one of the top principals in the country.

The NASSP recognizes outstanding middle and high school principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students, selecting one winner from each of the 50 states and DC.

Initially, Martin was confused and later skeptical about receiving the letter that described her award. “I just kind of stared at it for a minute because I didn’t really know what it was,” she said. “I looked at this and was just kind of like ‘Is this a real thing?’”

Martin will attend an upcoming convention in DC that will both honor winners and give them a platform to share their expertise with others.

Along with this recognition, Martin renewed her contract with DCPS, securing her another year as Wilson’s principal. Martin’s new contract will follow the guidelines established by the Council of School Offers, the DCPS principals’ union, which will include a salary raise and extra summer days off.

Overall, Martin is happy to oversee another Wilson year, and hopes to continue making progress within the school. She is planning a workshop for teachers to discuss adaptive leadership next year. “I am looking forward to increasing opportunities for both teachers and students to be involved in leadership and decision-making,” she said.