William Blake
Position: Assistant Principal
School: Dr. Henry A Wise Jr. High School
School District: Prince George's County Public Schools
City, State: Upper Malboro, MD
About the Nominee: Mr. Blake displays a sincere dedication to serving as an innovative educator, determined to educate youth and inspire them to create their individual "Blueprint of Success." Mr. Blake has continuously influenced the educational atmosphere at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School. He has lead the school into receiving the Bronze Award through their Positive Behavior Incentives and Supports (PBIS) program, which reinforces positive behavior and provides interventions for student behaviors. Mr. Blake's energy and enthusiasm for education is contagious and his memorable slogan "Be Amazing" is heard daily from the students and even teachers. His passion for children extends far beyond the classroom, and previous and current students are excited to share their college acceptance letters and personal accomplishments. Some have followed in his footsteps by becoming future educators. In an effort to create student leaders and to decrease student conflict, Mr. Blake has trained 14 Student Ambassadors to solve minor student conflict through Peer Mediation. He provides professional development opportunities for teachers, which has proven to have an impact on their teaching and classroom management. Great teachers inspire students to do more than they thought they could do, they help students make up lost ground, and they put students on the path to success. This kind of help comes from great school leaders who understand how to organize schools that support instruction and help every teacher improve. Mr. Blake believes that all students can learn and believes building a learning community through rigorous and high expectations will unlock students' dreams. Mr. Blake does tremendous things within his school community that can only be attributed to his hard work and passion for children.For more on Mr. Blake, who comes from a family of educators, please watch the video by LOUD (Living Out Underestimated Dreams)