A well-known and loved principal in the Kootenay Lake School District has been recognized for his longstanding commitment to excellence.
Principal Dan Miles is the recipient of a Canada’s Outstanding Principals Award, from The Learning Partnership.
“This award is a very prestigious and important acknowledgement of Dan’s work as an educator and educational leader,” said the district as they announced the honour this week.
Miles is currently the principal of J.V. Humphries and Jewett schools in Kaslo and Meadow Creek. He is thrilled to be acknowledged at the national level.
“It feels like a pretty big deal to me and I am honoured by that,” he told the Star.
The leader credits his team for helping him be a great principal.
“One of my strengths is listening and working with my colleagues,” he said. “I also work hard to listen to the needs of the community and get them involved in our school… My sense is we’re as good as the adults in our community and the adults in our building. My job is really celebrating the skills that people have, acknowledging the gifts that community brings. And we’re all passionate about kids so my job is to ensure we focus on supporting our kids.”
Miles’ career in the Kootenay Lake School District began in 1986. He started the French Immersion program at Trafalgar that year. After two years spent in China, he returned to the role of district vice-principal in charge of French programs. He’s served as vice-principal at Trafalgar middle school, principal in Salmo, principal in Erickson and Yakh and he is in his sixth year at the north end of Kootenay Lake.
“I’ve been in lots of different schools and it’s given me the opportunity to really get to know staff around the district and communities around the district,” he said. “One of the things I’ve really celebrated about this district is that you have very caring staff who are focused on kids.”
Later in February, Miles will head to Toronto courtesy of The Learning Partnership. It is a national charity dedicated to building stakeholder partnerships to support, promote and advance publicly funded education in Canada.
This year, they’ve recognized forty exceptional principals, representing every province and territory across Canada. These exemplary individuals will receive their awards at the 10th annual Canada’s Outstanding Principals gala dinner event and awards ceremony on February 25.
As part of Canada’s Outstanding Principals program, winning principals will also participate in an executive leadership-training program at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, between February 23 and 27. The program will introduce them to leadership and management practices and theories presented by current business leaders and instructors at one of Canada’s leading business schools.
“It’s an opportunity to work with some of the outstanding leaders in the country. I am really looking forward to sharing,” he said. “And I really look forward to celebrating our little corner of the province. Kaslo and the Kootenays are a wonderful place and I look forward to celebrating what we do here.”
Outstanding principals are nominated by their peers, school staff and community members. Nominations are reviewed and final winners selected on a representation-by-population basis by a National Selection Committee made up of a distinguished group of Canadian education, community and private sector leaders.
Candidates are chosen using the following criteria: characteristics of outstanding principals; evidence of partnerships with parents and community; a personal story illustrating successful change and innovation that resulted in improved student achievement; and corresponding letters of support.
“SD8 (Kootenay Lake) is proud of all of our Principals, and believe that this important acknowledgement represents the best characteristics of educational leadership,” said the district. “We are very pleased to congratulate Dan on this important recognition.”