Cathy Cooper

Summerland Public School (Elementary)
Summerland Public School
Ewing, Nebraska
cathycooper@summerlandbobcats.org

Principal Cathy Cooper has served rural Nebraska families for over 35 years, becoming principal 12 years ago after 25 years as a middle and high school teacher. Four years ago, Cooper helped lead the consolidation of three rural schools into the newly established Summerland Public School, where she currently serves as principal. Cooper’s top priorities in her tenure have been to build a supportive, caring culture in which students and teachers can thrive, and articulating an MTSS framework that facilitates effective student-centered instruction. In just its first year of implementation, the school observed ELA proficiency growth in almost all grades, with data reflecting equitable advancement irrespective of a student’s race, gender, income, or special education status. Among the strategies contributing to this success were the school’s adoption of the Marzano Instructional Method, WIN intervention sessions, and a collective commitment to research-based teaching methods. Cooper’s cultural transformation efforts have focused on elevating social, emotional, and behavioral development for students through interventions focused on self-esteem, anxiety, and bullying, while giving teachers what they need for daily resilience in an increasingly demanding profession. Teachers have access to a variety of resources, tools, and incentives to prioritize and model self-care, and credit the school’s supportive culture for their desire to continue on their professional path at Summerland. Cooper holds a master’s degree in P-12 Administration and a B.A. in Education from Wayne State University.