PA Principal Association names Ed Leadership Alum, Richard M. Gordon IV, 2020 PA Principal of the Year and Receives 2020 Distinguished Service to Education Award by NASSP

As part of its vision to promote excellence in middle and high school leadership, the Pennsylvania Principals Association, in affiliation with the NASSP, annually recognizes principals from across the state for their leadership and for making positive, significant differences in our schools and communities. 

This year, Pennsylvania Principal’s Association chose Lehigh alumni, Principal Richard Gordon IV as the 2020 Pennsylvania Principal of the Year. The award recognizes Principal Gordon as an outstanding high school principal who has succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrated exemplary contributions to the profession.

He will also be presented with the NASSP’s highest recognition, the Distinguished Service Award for Service to Education, which will be presented during the 2020 Virtual Recognition Awards Program on July 20. This award recognizes Principal Gordon for the significant contributions he has made to education throughout his career. 

Richard M. Gordon IV, serves as the principal of Paul Robeson High School for Human Services, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the past seven (7) years.  He received national attention by saving Paul Robeson High School from extinction as one of 30 low-performing public schools the School District of Philadelphia proposed for permanent closure during the City of Philadelphia’s unprecedented financial crisis in 2013.  His leadership transformed Paul Robeson High School into Philadelphia’s “Most Improved High School” in 2017, and the Pennsylvania State Department of Education recognized Paul Robeson High School becoming a “High Progress” school, removing it from State’s list of academically “high needs/lowest performing" schools.  

With a 100% minority population and a 100% school poverty rate, he is credited with developing a model program for college & career readiness and for achieving a 95% annual graduation rate Education (the city average is a 70% graduation rate).  Principal Gordon received national acknowledgements, including the Education Dive Magazine’s 2017 "National School Administrator of the Year” Award, Black Enterprise Magazine’s 2019 Modern Man of Distinction Award, University of Pennsylvania’s 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Education Award, and the National Alliance for Black School Educators 2019 “National Principal of the Year” Award.   

With visits and personal endorsements from the Honorable Jim Kenney, the Mayor of Philadelphia, the City Council of Philadelphia, along with numerous awards, citations and accolades, Principal Gordon believes his greatest achievement has been establishing a school that not only is a safe, caring, family-like atmosphere supportive of all students and their families, but also a community that fosters positive relationships in order to provide an inclusive high-quality educational environment that builds a foundation for life-long learning.  

Principal Gordon has added more than 30+ new community partnerships, including a partnership with the Consortium (Inc.), a mental health therapy program providing trauma supports for students on campus, building a trauma-informed school environment.  Since the implementation of all programs, truancy rates have significantly been lowered (approximately 8%), graduation rates average 95%, and school suspension rates fell below 4%, making Robeson one of the safest schools in the City of Philadelphia.  Bullying has been eliminated, with (0%) reports in the past 5 years, and Robeson’s holistic approach to improving school culture yielded great success in improving academics.  These successful outcomes are due to implementing and abiding by a prevention/intervention strategic response plan which has transformed the school culture into a safe harbor for all students.  

Principal Gordon is currently enrolled at Northcentral University working towards his Doctorate of Education degree (Ed.D.) and expects to graduate in 2022. He earned his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University in 2007.

Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools, and the Department of Defense Education Activity select one middle level or high school principal to represent their state. NASSP honors all State Principals of the Year at the Principal’s Institute held each year in Washington, D.C. The Institute not only salutes the principalship but also provides a forum for honorees to advocate for education and share best practices and expertise.  As a state winner, Principal Gordon will be a nominee for the NASSP National Principal of the Year award. 

About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student’s potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Student Council.