A veteran McLean County educator has been named among seven Illinois finalists for the state's Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership.
The award honors exemplary performance in school leadership by a principal or head of school who has had a significant and sustained positive impact on the school.
A news release from Normal West High School said Angie Codron served several roles at the school, in addition to being its current principal.
Codron joined Normal West two decades ago as a science teacher and coach. As principal, she has had a visible presence in student-driven initiatives, presenting to freshman mentoring groups, supporting student leaders in the Advanced Mentoring Program and involvement in the PACK Athletic Leadership Council, Paw Print journalism and a student podcast.
On the district level, Codron serves as a professional development leader, annually designing and delivering training for over 2,000 Unit 5 staff members and advancing aligned instructional practices across schools.
"Great school leaders understand that their influence extends well beyond their own work,” said Alicia Winckler, CEO of the Golden Apple Foundation, in a statement. “This year’s honorees have built school communities grounded in trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to student success.”
Of the seven finalists, the foundation selects 1-2 winners. Each receives a cash prize of $10,000, with $5,000 for the school leader and $5,000 going to the school for a project of the recipient’s choosing.
The winners will be announced later this spring.
