Shorewood's Melyssa Stone Wins Assistant Principal of the Year Honor from AWSP

Nov 14 2025

Article courtesy of the Association of Washington Principals

Melyssa Stone, Assistant Principal at Shorewood High School in
Shoreline, WA, has been named the 2026 Washington State Secondary
Assistant Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington
Principals (AWSP). She will also be honored by the National Association
of Secondary School Principals for the National Assistant Principal of
the Year program.

Stone is one of those heroes who doesn’t want recognition,
which makes her all the more deserving of it. By listening closely to
students and rolling up her sleeves to take practical action, Stone has
transformed Shorewood High School into a place of belonging, support,
and self-advocacy.

One of the most pivotal actions Stone took through student
voice centers on safety. She honed in on survey feedback from students
about feelings of safety at school. Students expressed a need for both
physical safety and systems to ensure social-emotional safety. In
response, Stone worked with teachers to establish clear protocols for
students on expectations for entering and exiting class to help keep
hallways peaceful. Additionally, the team began their staff meetings
with scenarios that warranted an appropriate level of response, which,
in turn, helped strengthen their intervention muscles. These efforts
sparked conversations about confronting their own blind spots as a team
and about building collective awareness within the school community.

At the core of Stone’s work is a belief that all students
are capable. She writes, “I believe that all students want to succeed,
and helping them identify barriers and working with my amazing team are
at the crux of brainstorming.” When asked how she challenges
high-performing students while maintaining high expectations for all
learners, Stone answered: “There are massive amounts of differentiation
happening in classrooms on a daily basis, and my own research in highly
capable learners makes clear that students are capable of rising to meet
the challenges of learning, and it's our job as educators to recognize
when other behaviors may be masking a need for more rigor.”

A true partner to teachers and staff, Stone takes every
opportunity to uplift her team and celebrate her students'
accomplishments.

“She is a trusted figure in the community, among her peers
and families. Melyssa is a cheerleader for things that uplift anyone and
everyone. She is also an amazing Black leader in a district where
students want to see themselves reflected in all spaces. Her joy,
brilliance, and commitment to supporting all students make her an
amazing leader,” says Kelsey Linares, who nominated Melyssa Stone for
the award.

Stone’s passion and experience extend beyond her school in
many ways. She served on OSPI's Washington State African American
History Advisory Board, working with Congress to develop a comprehensive
education plan for secondary education. She served on the University of
Washington's PESB board for more than five years as the AWSP rep,
working across the College of Education to help maintain accreditation.
She is also currently a member of the University of Washington's
conference planning team for the Leading Towards Justice annual
symposium, a conference for school leaders and communities to think
creatively and across networks to work towards equitable outcomes for
students and families.

Living by the idea that “a rising tide lifts all boats,”
Stone’s work continues to elevate those around her—proving that when
leaders lead with heart, entire communities flourish.