January 2011 - Allegheny West Magazine

Resident Named a National
Outstanding School Leader
On Tuesday, November 16, Dr. Michael Lucas, a Montour area resident, was
one of ten school principals nationwide, and the only one in Pennsylvania, to
receive the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership at the 2010
Blue Ribbon Schools Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Principals nominated for the Terrel Bell Award are school leaders committed to
fostering successful teaching and learning at their schools. They are principals
who do whatever it takes to help their students meet high standards; and have
demonstrated that they understand that when it comes to educating America’s
children, failure, is not an option.
Administrators and faculty describe Dr. Lucas as dedicated and passionate
about improving the quality of education for students at Cornell Elementary. In a
school that faces the challenges of high poverty (approximately two-thirds of
the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch), a sizeable special needs
population (almost one-quarter of the students have an IEP), and low
kindergarten-preparedness and little technology, Dr. Lucas seeks to provide the
best educational opportunities available. Whether that means working on
curriculum with teachers or applying for grants, Dr. Lucas keeps his focus on
what will benefit the students.
Collaboration is a hallmark of Dr. Lucas’ strategy. To better serve the school’s
large special needs population, Dr. Lucas collaborated with the Special Education
Supervisor, special education teachers, and the Title I Reading Specialists to ensure
that the neediest learners were placed in the classes where they could receive more
attention. Also, all teachers were trained to provide multiple, tiered interventions
for struggling learners.
His grant-writing brought SMART boards to all classrooms, plus a new
computer lab. Additionally, through his partnerships, he instituted a full day
preschool, and started a Kindergarten Summer Boot Camp to help students,
parents, and teachers adjust to kindergarten.
Prior to joining Cornell Elementary four years ago, Dr. Lucas worked at Moon
Area High School for two years as assistant principal, and for three years prior as a
reading specialist and social studies teacher, also at Moon. Prior to that, he served
for four years at Avonworth Elementary as a teacher.
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