Newton North Principal Henry Turner Named Principal Of The Year

NEWTON, MA — Newton North Principal Henry Turner was named Principal of the Year by K-12 Dive. The educational industry online publication recognizes leaders each year, but this year its editorial team said it wanted to recognize leadership in a time of "unprecedented crisis."

"The Dive Awards for 2020 highlight the stories of the organizations and leaders who met the moment by showing empathy for the human condition, agility amid uncertainty and disruption, and resilience in the face of adversity," Industry Dive Editor-in-Chief Davide Savenije said in a release.

K-12 Dive selected Turner as principal of the year citing his resolve and positive demeanor and his effort to combat systemic inequality, commitment to meeting students' social-emotional needs and creating an anti-racist learning environment.

Superintendent of Newton Public Schools David Fleishman called Turner a leader in the district effort to recognize such injustices and to take active steps to address them.

"In the Newton Public Schools, we are fully committed to being an anti-racist district," Fleishman said. "We still have a long way to go and will continue to do this work long after the pandemic subsides."

Turner, who oversees about 2,200 students, some 20 percent of which come from low-income families, said he was proud of the work his school has done amid pandemic to continue to address such inequalities and injustices.

"While the pandemic has presented school communities with unimaginable challenges, it has also brought into focus the inequities in our system," he said. "Before the pandemic, the work of our school community has been focused on anti-racism, inclusion, and equity. The pandemic has made this work even more crucial as we see the ways this public health crisis has disproportionately impacted communities of color."

Turner graduated from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and got his master’s from Framingham State College and a doctorate from Boston College. He took over as principal of Newton North in 2016 after longtime North principal Jennifer Price left.

Read more about what people had to say about Turner from K-12 Drive.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.