Principal James Roscoe was named 2016 High School Principal of the Year by the Lakes Region Illinois Principals Association. He will accept the award on Wednesday, April 13, at the annual recognition breakfast.
Roscoe has been a principal at North for four years; however, he has been in the district for 21 years. Some of his prior titles include being a math teacher, assistant activities director, math department chair, dean and associate principal. Despite his many prior occupations, Roscoe does not believe the award is reflective of one person; rather, it is reflective of the efforts made by the school as a whole.
“I think that award reflects the achievement of our kids, the drive and dedication of our staff, and the support of our community. I think it has very little to do with the individual,” he said.
Roscoe was awarded by the Illinois Principals Association, who select contenders and review the candidates in the state. There are other categories for nomination, such as Elementary and Associate.
“[The IPA] is an organization for administrators in the state of Illinois. It’s broken down into four regions, usually by county. Apparently, I was nominated for the Lake County region, and based on what [the committee] read, I was their award winner for the high school category,” he said.
Roscoe’s first job was held at Deerfield in 1995. There, he served as an all day math tutor for struggling students. He believes that through his prior experiences, he has a true understanding of what a student goes through every day.