Reno-area principal named tops in Nevada

RENO - A longtime Nevada educator who is retiring after nearly 30 years in the Washoe County School District is being honored by the U.S. Department of Education.

Roberta Lawson, principal of Spanish Springs Elementary School, was named the winner Wednesday of the National Distinguished Principal Award 2000 for the state of Nevada.

She will travel to a conference in Washington in October to accept the award, issued annually by the Education Department and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

A winner of the 1998 Nevada Women's Fund Women of Achievement Award, Lawson helped develop a ''Pre-School Within a School'' program at Spanish Springs elementary in the mid-1990s, a student internship program, a mentor program between Sparks High School and Kate Smith Elementary School in the 1980s and the Adopt-A-School program.

During her tenure, Spanish Springs Elementary was the first school in the district to switch to a multi-track, year-round schedule.

''This award really doesn't belong to me but to every administrator in the school district,'' Lawson said.

''We all work hard to make the district No. 1, and I share this with them. As I'm retiring, it's a nice thing to know your fellow administrators thought enough of me nominate me for this award.''

Lawson taught fourth and fifth grades at Roger Corbett Elementary School, fifth grade at Stead Elementary School and English and language arts at Sparks Middle School. She was principal of Kate Smith elementary for five years, Elizabeth Lenz elementary for six years and Spanish Springs for six years.