Dominican Sister Joan Sorge, principal of St. Agnes School in Springfield, is among 62 outstanding elementary and middle school principals from public and private schools across the nation who have been named as 2010 National Distinguished Principals by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

Sister Joan and the other outstanding principals were honored Oct. 15 at an awards banquet at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Established in 1984 by NAESP in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education, the program recognizes public and private school principals who make superior contributions to their schools and communities. The distinguished principals are selected by NAESP state affiliates, including the District of Columbia, and by committees representing private and overseas schools.

NAESP executive director Gail Connelly commended the 62 principals for being exemplars of successful school leadership. “For more than 25 years, our National Distinguished Principals program has recognized our nation’s most accomplished principals — front-line champions for children — who work tirelessly to drive school performance and student achievement,” she said. “In this era of intensified school reform and school improvement, principals provide vitally important leadership that empowers teachers, galvanizes parents and communities, and most important, ensures innovative learning environments that help all children reach their highest potential.”

Sister Joan has been principal at St. Agnes for more than five years. In April, she was honored as a distinguished principal in the Great Lakes Region by the National Catholic Education Association.

“We are blessed to have Sister Joan Sorge’s excellent leadership as a principal in our diocese,” said Jean Johnson, superintendent of schools for the Springfield diocese. “She cares deeply for her students, teachers, staff, fellow principals in the diocese, and everyone at her school and parish. This is very evident in her daily actions and in all the time and effort she puts into being an effective principal. She is very deserving of the National Distinguished Principal Award.”