Embassy Staff attend CONSED high school principal award ceremony in Recife

November 7, 2011

Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy John Matel, Consul for Public Affairs in Recife Heidi Arola, PE Secretary of Education Anderson Gomes, and Embassy Cultural Specialist Márcia Mizuno at the awards ceremony.

Marcia Mizuno, Cultural Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia with Principal Adriana Aguiar from Tocantins, this year’s winner of the award

On Monday, November 7, the National Council of State Secretaries of Education (CONSED) held its annual awards ceremony honoring the best school principals in Brazil.  The event was hosted this year by the Pernambuco State Secretariat of Education and held at Arcadia in Boa Viagem, Recife.  The U.S. Mission is a proud sponsor of Brazil’s National Award for “Excellence in School Management and Leadership.”

Since 1999, the National Council of State Secretaries of Education (CONSED), together with public and private partners, annually selects the best principal in each of the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District, based on their innovation and school management. The awarded schools receive some financial support, educational materials and a certificate of excellence in "School Management and Leadership." They are also highlighted in their communities for their innovation and success by the State Secretariats of Education and serve as models for other schools in their communities.

The U.S. Embassy has been CONSED's partner since the creation of this program and our contribution to this initiative is a three-week exchange program in the U.S. for all awarded principals. This year, Adriana Pereira Aguiar, Principal of the Presidente Costa e Silva school in Gurupi, Tocantins, was the winner of the national competition for her leadership work and its impact on the school community.

Since 2004, with support from the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Office, we also offer a reverse program to bring groups of award-winning U.S. principals for a similar program in Brazil and to give regional seminars on excellence in school management and leadership.

Sponsors of this initiative are CONSED, the Roberto Marinho Foundation, the National Union of Municipal Secretaries of Education (UNDIME), UNESCO, the U.S. Embassy, the British Council, Itaú Social Foundation, Gol Group, Microsoft, Gerdau Foundation and the programs “Todos Pela Educação (All for Education)” and “Movimento Brasil Competitivo (Competitive Brazil Movement)”.