Principal Rene F. Rovirosa of Mater Lakes Academy was named one of the top three winners in the high school division for the Principal Leadership Award.
Florida TaxWatch is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute. According to their website, “Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on citizens and businesses.”
Florida TaxWatch established its Principal Leadership Awards Program in 2014. The criteria used to name the winning principals per grade division (elementary, middle, and high school) is not done through a nomination basis, but it is data driven.
Florida TaxWatch bases its criteria on data received from the Florida Department of Education, using assessment scores, learning gains, and the percentage of students that are ELL, SPED, and economically disadvantaged and their progress. Mater Lakes Academy had a four percent learning gain in English and Language Arts and a 14 percent learning gain in Mathematics. Mater Lakes Academy exceeded both the state and district percentage of proficiency at 71 percent.
“I am honored. There are no other words to describe it, but just that I am honored,” said Rovirosa. “We, not I, have worked extremely hard to keep achieving for greatness and succeeding in what we do. This is an award not just for me as the principal, but an award for all of Mater Lakes, because the faculty and students earned it.”
On Thursday, October 12, at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, the Florida TaxWatch will honor all the principals that were named the top principals at their award ceremony that is part of its annual board of trustees meeting. At the ceremony Florida TaxWatch will then pick a grand prize winner from each grade division category.