Two School Leaders Earn Outstanding Administrator Awards

The Kansas City Public Schools Board of Directors and Superintendent Mark Bedell recognized the following school leaders as Outstanding Administrators during a virtual School Board meeting on Wednesday evening, Dec. 9.

Leah Starr

Leah Starr is the Principal at Trailwoods Elementary School.  

According to multiple nominations, Ms. Starr always makes students her top priority. She constantly makes home visits to students, consistently reaches out for community resources to make our students' home-lives better, and fosters a community feeling that the entire school community are all in this together. She leads with the philosophy that no matter what, we will always do what is best for our students.

Ms. Starr also nurtures a positive and welcoming workplace for the Trailwoods team. She allows her staff to come up with solutions to problems that work best for their school. She consistently asks for feedback and takes staff concerns to heart. Her door is always open, she is willing to answer phone calls late into the night, and she ends each meeting with how much she appreciates staff. She is always willing to try new strategies, and has taught our staff how to use data and best practices as the driving force of instruction.

She never makes a decision without valuing the opinions and concerns of those involved. The school’s attendance rate demonstrates how much the students feel valued and want to be at Trailwoods.  They can feel how much they are cared about, they trust the staff, and they feel safe at school.   

Not only does she care about making Trailwoods a better community, she also works hard to make all of KCPS the best it can be, serving on equity teams, and encouraging us to have tough conversations about what is and isn't serving our kids.  

“She values and cares for her staff, she is the epitome of a true educator, and leads with the philosophy that we are all in this for the students best interest.”

Outstanding Administrator Nomination

Andrew Murphy

Andrew Murphy is the Vice Principal at Carver Dual Language Elementary. 

This is Mr. Murphy’s first year as a VP and he is already proving to be among the best school leaders in KCPS. We are very proud of the fact that he is a product of our “grow-your-own” school leadership initiative, having served with distinction for several years as a teacher at Carver Dual Language. 

Mr. Murphy goes above and beyond to help everyone in the Carver Dual Language community. He provides students with materials and assistance they need to be successful learners. He supports teachers in any way possible. He helps families by connecting them to helpful programs and resources. He does all of this with a positive, caring, and loving heart.  

“He never forgets what being in a classroom means. Always positive, always helping.”

Outstanding Administrator Nomination