Fairfield, CA -
Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District principal Alison Guernsey has been selected as the Elementary School Administrator of the Year by the Solano Charter of the Association of California Administrators. In a year marked by unique challenges for schools across the region, state, and country, Guernsey was recognized for her leadership in welcoming students back to campus while meeting the challenges of staffing shortages and COVID-19 disruptions.
In nominating her for the honor, fellow principal colleagues placed Guernsey’s dedication at the heart of her success as a leader. One administrator noted, “Alison is a rockstar. She goes above and beyond as a principal. She works long hours to provide her students with what they need. She is a great instructional leader who supports her staff. Alison is also a great colleague who listens, supports, and provides resources to her fellow principal friends.”
Guernsey has been at the helm of David Weir K-8 Preparatory Academy since 2018. She previously served as a classroom teacher at Weir before moving into school administration. Reflecting on the school year and the challenges of the pandemic, she remarked on the pride in seeing students return. “My proudest accomplishment this year was bringing back in-person assemblies and events. Our community loved celebrating and kids and showed up for our honor roll assemblies, character assemblies, and our family events.”
While the pandemic presented difficulty for schools, Guernsey believes the time period produced some positive outcomes for communities. She said, “The pandemic provided us with new methods to communicate. Parents feel comfortable messaging or emailing me, something that hardly ever happened pre-COVID.”
ACSA represents thousands of school administrators and managers across California. The Solano Charter supports administrators from across much of Solano County. David Weir K-8 Preparatory Academy serves over 600 students for the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.
