Quennel Cooper, principal of Prairie View Elementary School, has been honored with the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association’s (MESPA) West Suburban Division Leadership Award for 2024.
A MESPA press release on Jan. 22 said, “This award, given to outstanding elementary and middle-level principals, recognizes Dr. Cooper’s exceptional leadership, dedication to educational advancement, and commitment to fostering effective learning environments.” MESPA cited Cooper’s “bold, visionary” leadership and hard work in contributing to the development of programs that support both student success and school improvement.
Cooper has been the principal of Prairie View since the start of the 2022-23 school year. Previously, he was the principal of Pine Bend Elementary School in Inver Grove Heights Schools.
In a shared statement, Cooper said, “Every day I am so blessed to live out my dream.” He said a driving force behind his leadership philosophy is the belief that “Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase,” as stated by Martin Luther King, Jr. He added that his focus is on creating positive, lasting change for students and staff alike.
In addition to his role as principal, Cooper serves as the president-elect of the MESPA’s West Suburban Division and actively leads MESPA’s efforts in advocacy through his work with the Elementary Principals’ Action Committee (EPAC). Cooper is a member of the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and coaches principals at Courageous Leadership Institute.
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