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ALEXANDRIA, Va - An Alexandria City Public Schools principal whose career has stretched across three Washington-area school systems is among 25 building-level leaders across Virginia named to the inaugural class of the state's Principals of Distinction.
Heidi Haggerty Wagner, principal of Alexandria's Early Childhood Center, is the only ACPS honoree in the first-year class announced by the Virginia Department of Education. She is also one of just two Northern Virginia principals recognized outside of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, alongside Liza Broughman Aldana of Arlington's Claremont Immersion School.
Before joining ACPS, Haggerty Wagner spent 20 years in Arlington Public Schools in roles spanning special education, curriculum and instruction, and special projects leadership, and served six years as principal of a PreK-5 Title I elementary school in Northeast Washington, D.C., according to the Early Childhood Center website. She has worked to build collaborative systems across central offices and schools to design and implement tiered English language arts instruction from kindergarten through eighth grade.
She is a nationally certified leader for Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity, known as SEED, and has framed her work around equity-focused school leadership. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, master's degrees in special education and educational leadership, and a Harvard University certificate in early learning leadership. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at George Mason University, where she created a course on teaching reading to struggling readers.
The Principals of Distinction program, a partnership between the state Department of Education, the Virginia Board of Education, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals and the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, pairs recognition with professional development. Honorees completed a training symposium and a six-month capstone project.
To qualify, principals and assistant principals must have at least five years of experience as a building-level administrator in a Virginia public or accredited nonpublic school and must have completed a formal induction program, under Virginia Board of Education standards.
The state said the selection committee gave priority to candidates with a record of improving student achievement, providing instructional leadership and building school environments that reduce non-academic barriers. Evidence of impact on student outcomes was emphasized.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway said the honorees are "delivering on what high expectations and excellence looks like for every student" and leading under the state's School Performance and Support Framework. Virginia Board of Education President Mashea Ashton called the group "truly inspiring" for its work on instruction and school culture.
Completion of the program also carries a credentialing benefit: the Principal of Distinction, Level II endorsement in Administration and Supervision PreK-12.
The Alexandria Brief has reached out to Alexandria City Public Schools for comment and will update this story.
