Urioste named top Title I principal

Billie Martinez principal Paul Urioste, right, gives the thumbs up to one of his students while standing on stage with his wife, Shelly, after receiving the Title I Principal of the Year Award from the Colorado Department of Education on Monday.

JIM RYDBOM/jrydbom@greeleytribune.com

It was Paul Urioste's day.

Really. Monday was officially his day.

Urioste, principal of Billie Martinez Elementary in Greeley, was named the state's first Title I Distinguished Principal of the Year.

Urioste received the award from the Colorado Department of Education in front of a full auditorium.

And for the honor, Mayor Ed Clark proclaimed Jan. 28, 2008, Paul Urioste Day.

When receiving the award and a blown-up check for $6,000, Urioste was short with words but he said he couldn't have succeeded in pulling the the school out of sanctions without the staff and teachers.

"I couldn't do this job without my leadership team," he said.

He said the award is proof the school, which has spent many years under scrutiny for low test scores, is making progress. After the ceremony, he said he wasn't sure what he was going to do with money.

Urioste said high expectations and focused instruction were part of his plans that helped turned the school around.

In the two years under Urioste's direction, the school has come out from underneath of all state and federal sanctions for poor performance, including the corrective action phase of the No Child Left Behind Law. It's the first time in at least 15 years that has been the case for Billie Marintez, said Roger Fiedler, a spokesman for the Greeley-Evans School District 6.

Urioste, who before was principal at Madison Elementary, was once a teacher at Billie Martinez.

Kathryn Smukler, a senior consultant with the education department, said six criteria -- student data, leadership, instruction, communication, supervision and management -- were considered in making the award.

But Urioste stood out for his commitment to bringing the struggling school around.

<strong>WHAT'S TITLE I</strong>

Title I, part of the No Child Left Behind legislation, is the largest federal program that supports both elementary and secondary education. Resources are based on poverty rates of students enrolled in schools and districts. There are 619 Title I schools in Colorado. At Billie Martinez, 96 percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, according to the Colorado Department of Education.

"For him, failure was not an option," Smukler said. "That was the piece that came through."

Even Urioste's toughest "critics" had kind words to say about him.

"He's cool," fifth-grader Hugo Martinez said of Urioste, who often eats his lunch with students.

Bianca Sota, another fifth-grader, said Urioste is a tough, but good, principal.

"He wants us to get on track."

Email or Screen Name:
Password:
	Remember Me

Forgot Password? Become a Member	Close Window

View all classifieds
	Rentals	Real Estate
	Merchandise	Recreation

Welcome, Guest
LOGIN \| Become a Member \| What's This?

Urioste named top Title I principal

Christopher Ortiz