Success Stories

Home | About MSA | Success Stories

Kathleen Decker, Principal, Walter Bracken STEAM Academy

Clark County Public Schools, Las Vegas, Nevada

2013 Principal of the Year
 

Kathleen Decker, principal at Walter Bracken STEAM Academy in Las Vegas, has developed an effective magnet program that transformed the school completely. When Ms. Decker was appointed principal in 2001, Walter Bracken was one of the lowest performing schools in the district. This year, the award-winning program has received High Achievement status from the state of Nevada for Adequate Yearly Progress and ranked among the top 5% of all schools in the district...Learn more

Tere Pujol-Burns, Sunset Elementary School

Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami, Florida

2013 Teacher of the Year
 

Tere Pujol-Burns, has been a magnet teacher for 26 years, and is the Lead Teacher of the International Studies Magnet Program at Sunset Elementary in Miami. She teaches students in kindergarten to fifth grade.

Ms. Pujol-Burns has united a diverse group of learners to work towards a common goal in several ways. She designed and implemented People to People International’s Change for Change community service initiative.  This program allowed the school to raise funds to support kangaroo adoption, rain forest preservation, Save the Waves Coalition and UNICEF. Of all her efforts at community building, Ms. Pujol-Burns views Multicultural Student Exchange Program as her greatest contribution. She designed the program to eliminate minority group isolation and allow students from diverse backgrounds opportunities to develop friendships. Magnet Schools of America is pleased to honor Lead Magnet Teacher Tere Pujol-Burns for her outstanding teaching at Sunset Elementary School in Miami, Florida... Learn more