A Monongalia County educator received state recognition on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Charleston for her work in the classroom and community.
Rosetta Le, who is principal of Suncrest Elementary School, was a recipient of the Governor’s Living the Dream Award during an ecumenical service at the state capitol this past Monday, on the federal holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader.
Le was presented her award from the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission in the morning gathering at the Culture Center on the grounds of the state capitol complex.
“She is an esteemed leader,” said Patrica Wilson, a commission member who is also the education chair at West Virginia State University.
Wilson lauded her fellow educator for her work in getting Suncrest Elementary established on the map with West Virginia Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center.
The center, which is housed at Marshall University in Huntington, gave the school Tier 1 status through its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiative (PBIS).
PBIS schools work to quell bullying, arguing and other forms of harassment that can carry over from the classroom to the teacher’s lounge.
That’s because everyone, Wilson said, is dealing with unprecedented amounts of stress and angst these days.
“This kind of support is needed more than ever,” Wilson said in her remarks.
Le, a Greensboro, N.C., native and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, launched her career in education as a teacher 16 years ago in her home state.
She’s a former Title I facilitator for Marion County Schools and also worked as an academic coach at North Elementary School in Morgantown.
In 2022 she was hired as a vice principal at Suncrest Elementary and became principal a year later after Doug Gaither took a job outside of West Virgnia.
She’s also the author of “Grateful Surrender,” a novel about faith, love, friendship and purpose.
Le made the writing of her story from the classroom to administration look easy, said Mon Superintendent Eddie Campbell Jr., who nominated her for the state MLK award.
“She’s talented and innovative,” he said.
“And she’s absolutely the definition of an instructional leader.”
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