Mount Vernon Community School Principal Named Washington Post Principal Of Year

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A principal at an Alexandria public school has earned recognition as the Washington Post's 2023 principal of the year.

Liza Burrell-Aldana, the principal at Mount Vernon Community School, was chosen among 16 nominees from DC, Maryland and Virginia. The Post credited Burrell-Aldana with leading the diverse school through the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing issues like asbestos in the aging school building, improving student test scores and keeping staff amid retention issues in the education field.

"The community that we are right now as a school is because of all of those challenges," Burrell-Aldana told the Post.

The Post noted that Mount Vernon Community School is Alexandria's only dual language program school. According to the school's website, the dual language program teaches students half of subjects in Spanish and half through English. Burrell-Aldana is credited with helping lead the school as it became a dual language program school.

The dual language program reflects the diversity of the students served. Hispanic students make up the largest share of Mount Vernon Community School's student population — 55.8 percent, followed by 36.2 percent white students. About half of the student population is economically disadvantaged, and about 44 percent are English learners.

Burrell-Aldana was born in Colombia and has about 30 years of education experience, including 13 as a teacher and instructor in dual language programs. After being a teacher in Columbia, she moved to the U.S. to work toward her master's degree. She became principal of Mount Vernon Community School in 2017 after three years as assistant principal.