Position: Principal
School: Pocomoke Middle School
School District: Worcester County School District
City, State: Pocomoke City, MD
Matthew Record was nominated by a colleague who wishes to remain anonymous.
Mr. Record is truly an outstanding principal! In the year and a half since he came to the school as a new principal, he has made a tremendous impact on the lives of teachers, parents, and, most importantly, students.
His favorite saying, which he often repeats to the teachers, is that they need to think of what the right thing for students is, and let it guide the instructional decisions they make. Mr. Record seems to put students first in every possible way. For the first time since it was built, his school now has a Junior National Honor Society. In this Title I school, where many students come from challenging financial circumstances, the NHS sends a strong motivational message to students, parents, and staff that children have academic promise. It creates a nurturing atmosphere of hope and success in the building and the community.
In a school that previously had no organized sports, the first basketball team was created under Mr. Record's leadership. This supports the well-rounded development of students, which contributes to the national goals of creating healthy well-rounded citizens. Mr. Record has been supportive of making his school a green school by supporting the efforts to build a rain garden, conserve energy, and recycle. He had the interior and exterior of the school painted blue to develop a positive perception of the school in the eyes of students and parents. In an old building with poor insulation, Mr. Record has gone to great lengths to make sure the right steps were taken to keep students and staff warm.
Mr. Record treats every child with the same care and warmth, inspiring them to do and be better. He supported a new initiative of sending postcards to the homes of students, highlighting the positive things they do in school. This was warmly received by the parents, who truly appreciated receiving a kind comment about their child. Mr. Record shows similar attention to teacher success and their professional development. Some of the teachers from Pocomoke Middle School are among the county’s top 10 highest teachers in rankings of professional development. Mr. Record opened the doors to Dr. Jay Imbrenda from Salisbury University, who conducted sessions on teaching argument in seventh grade classrooms.
"Mr. Record is an outstanding principal who is passionate about his work, and who, through his work, has made a tremendous positive difference in the lives of people around him," the nominator said. "He is an excellent candidate for the LifeChanger of the Year award."