Washington Post Names Mount Vernon Community School Principal as the 2022-23 Principal of the Year

Mount Vernon Community School (MVCS) Principal Dr. Liza Burrell-Aldana has been named 2022-23 Principal of the Year by both Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and The Washington Post!

Dr. Burrell-Aldana was appointed principal at MVCS in 2017, having joined the school division in 2014. During her more than 25 years as an educator, she spent 13 years as a teacher or instructional leader in dual language programs. As principal of ACPS’ only full dual language school, Dr. Burrell-Aldana effectively manages a linguistically and culturally diverse staff of more than 100 individuals, including the ongoing recruitment and retention of the bilingual educators who make the school’s dual language program possible.

“Dr. Burrell-Aldana has been instrumental in ensuring the school’s dual language curriculum and fosters students’ development of bilingualism and biliteracy skills through enriched educational experiences,” ACPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt said. “ACPS is proud to have her as its 2022-23 Principal of the Year and as our principal representative in the region as the Washington Post Principal of the Year. What an honor!”

Dr. Burrell-Aldana fosters a strong, collaborative relationship with the MVCS Parent Teacher Association and other community organizations to support students and staff. Their collaborative efforts led to the launching and expanding of such initiatives as Blessings-in-a-Backpack, which provides students with food each weekend, and From Neighbors to Friends, which is a family engagement initiative that brings parents from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds together to engage in community-building and shared learning of Spanish and English.

The Washington Post describes its Principal of the Year program as seeking to “recognize those principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment. In presenting this award, The Washington Post hopes to encourage excellence in school leadership and to contribute in a substantive way to the improvement of education in the Washington metropolitan area.” Dr. Burrell-Aldana was selected from among 16 regional finalists.

Dr. Burrell-Aldana was born in Colombia and earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages from the Universidad del Valle in Cali. She completed a master’s degree in teaching and education leadership from the School for International Training and George Mason University, respectively. She completed her doctorate in education leadership and policy studies at Virginia Tech.