Cape Central Principal honored by state organization
Cape Central Principal Dr. Mike Cowan was named Principal of the Year for the Southeast Region of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals at the organization’s spring convention at Lodge of Four Seasons at Lake Ozark, MO.
Cowan is in his 34th year of public education, and his eighth year as Principal at Cape Central. He oversaw the transition from the old high school on Clark Street to the new facility located at 1000 S. Silver Springs Rd. Cape Central is home to 1,300 ninth-through-twelfth-graders and 145 faculty and staff members.
“We are fortunate to have the expertise and credentials that Dr. Cowan’s brings to our district,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jim Welker. Cowan began his career as a Communications Arts teacher, theatre director, and speech and debate coach at David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, MO, and at Clayton High School in St. Louis County, MO. Before coming to Cape Central in the fall of 2001, Cowan was principal of Valley Park High School in St. Louis County for eight years.
Through Dr. Cowan's leadership, Cape Central earned the distinction of being one of only 382 high schools in the nation, and one of only eight in the state of Missouri, cited for academic rigor in mathematics and science. In 2008, Central was cited as an example of rigorous, high caliber teaching, in the ACT Education Division study entitled Rigor at Risk. A letter of citation from ACT stated, “Your school is clearly a leader in preparing all high school students for postsecondary education and workforce training programs. ACT applauds the achievement of your students and acknowledges the efforts of your school leaders and teachers in offering high quality core courses.”
Pictured above during a recongnition ceremony at the May 2009 Board meeting are, left to right, Mr. Kyle McDonald, Board President, Dr. Cowan, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jim Welker.