Churchill’s La Faye Howard Named Assistant Principal of the Year
La Faye Howard, assistant principal at Winston Churchill High School, has been named the 2025 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP), in collaboration with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). This award recognizes the work of these outstanding instructional leaders in leading teaching, learning and student achievement, and fostering cultures that promote success for all stakeholders.
“Every day, we want to come in and do our very best,” Howard said during a surprise celebration at the school on Dec. 13. “We want to be impactful; we want to cultivate relationships and we want to make a difference for every student we come across. That is my goal and intention every day.”
She was nominated by Churchill Principal John Taylor and her nomination was supported by colleagues, students and parents. She was surrounded by peers, family and friends. Superintendent Thomas Taylor and Board of Education President were on hand, as were Montgomery County Council Vice President Will Jawando and Councilmember Sidney Katz, who declared Dec. 13 Dr. La Faye Howard Day in Montgomery County.
“It’s a virtuous cycle when you have great students, great educators and great leadership in a school building,” Taylor said. “When that is strengthened by having great assistant principals that lift up what’s happening in the school, amazing things happen. You need to spend about 10 seconds at Winston Churchill High School to know great things are happening here.”
Howard also received accolades from a parent who wrote, she “is kind, thoughtful, smart, creative, a wonderful communicator, an exceptional listener and can find ways to effectively follow up on what matters most even when there are seemingly insurmountable hurdles in the way. Taylor described her role in fostering a positive culture and reducing incidents of hate and bias by writing, “Dr. Howard heads up our No Place for Hate student group. With over 120 members, these students actively plan and implement lessons and activities that promote acceptance and safety for all students and work to stop and address in real time bullying and hate bias in our school.”
Her active and visible presence is appreciated by her students. “Dr. Howard has played an instrumental role in ensuring students at Winston Churchill High School feel absolutely supported and safe,” said one of her students. “She is always present and active and immerses herself in connecting with students, which makes it very easy for any student to talk with her, ask for help or just chat.”
The NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year program annually recognizes outstanding middle and high school level assistant principals who have excelled in facilitating high quality instruction and learning opportunities positively impacting all students. These leaders are acknowledged by their peers and school communities for their exemplary contributions to the profession. The awards recognize leaders in the areas of curriculum, instruction and assessment as well as building professional learning within their schools that promote wellness, equity, student centeredness, results orientation and collaborative leadership and innovation.
Howard will now compete for honors at the national level.