LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Principal Ericka K. Wala upon the occa-
sion of her designation for special recognition by Peninsula Preparatory
Academy at its 2010 Unsung Heroes Awards Banquet

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve the
best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration and
cannot be sufficiently extolled; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
outstanding individuals whose professional lives, personal endeavors and
community service are an example and inspiration to their colleagues,
friends, and family; and
WHEREAS, It is also the practice of this Legislative Body to take note
of and publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and
character whose endeavors have enhanced the quality of education in this
great State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Principal Ericka K. Wala upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition by Peninsula Preparatory Academy; this auspicious
occasion will be celebrated on Saturday, June 12, 2010, at the Academy's
Unsung Heroes Awards Banquet; and
WHEREAS, Ericka K. Wala attended New York University as a Martin Luth-
er King Scholar which was a full four year scholarship and included
yearly travel around the world as a young ambassador representing the
United States; and
WHEREAS, She maintained the 3.5 grade point average required for the
program and graduated in three years instead of four; although offered
positions at very successful educational institutions, she opted to work
in areas with the greatest needs; she began her teaching career at a
Junior High School in Brownsville, Brooklyn; and
WHEREAS, She wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children
she worked with and continued the commitment, working in Harlem during
the summers with students who were on probation and parole and later
teaching in other challenging schools located in East New York, Brooklyn
and Roosevelt, Long Island; and
WHEREAS, Ericka K. Wala was told by her principal that she had created
an oasis of learning in her classroom the principal had never seen
before in such challenging circumstances and encouraged her to continue
her education for a degree in educational administration; and
WHEREAS, After attaining a professional certification in educational
administration from the College of St. Rose, Ericka K. Wala served as a
district staff developer and Assistant Principal and Principal in South-
east Queens; her school in Jamaica, Queens, was cited by NYS Commission-
er Richard P. Mills as one of the 226 rapidly improving schools in the
State of New York; she also received an award from the Queens Chapter of
the Rotary Club as a 2005 Unsung Hero; and
WHEREAS, For family reasons she moved to Georgia in 2006 where she
served as a coordinator of staff development for an elementary school in
Gwinnett County, Georgia; disheartened by an environment that seemed to
blame the student's lack of success on the fifth grade state writing
test on the students because they were English Language Learners, she
set in motion a plan of action to prove all children can be successful
when provided with an excellent education by knowledgeable and trained
teachers; and
WHEREAS, Through the staff development she coordinated, which focused
on teaching students how to write, within two and a half years the
school's scores rose from 56% of the fifth grade students passing the

state exam in 2006 to 99% of the students passing in 2009; she was
presented with an award recognizing her achievements but the greatest
reward was when she would visit the classrooms and see the students
excited about writing; and
WHEREAS, Upon her return to New York, Ericka K. Wala was offered the
position of Principal of Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School,
although created with the greatest intentions of serving the educational
needs of the community the school had faced some challenges through the
years and had received a conditional charter renewal; and
WHEREAS, Ericka K. Wala had a plan of action for the school to make
immediate changes in order to maximize the students' educational and
social experiences; she canvassed and hired additional staff members who
were dedicated to student success; she implemented the REACH HIGH for
Success program which celebrates characteristics such as Empathy and
Respect which enable students to grow up to become world class citizens;
and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Ericka K. Wala implemented a Result Based Evalu-
ation system with data driven instructional practices and brought the
strength's based professional learning community model to the school in
which teachers educate each other in the areas they excel in; and
WHEREAS, Every aspect of student achievement is celebrated and
rewarded; parent attendance at PTO meetings rose from 4-5 parents at
each monthly meeting in the prior year to an average of 80-100 parents
in attendance at each of the monthly meetings; and
WHEREAS, There is a great emphasis placed on creating a culture where
students are taught to care for others and the school has participated
in several service projects including We CAN Do It can food drive, which
resulted in 1000 pounds of food donated to City Harvest; PPA for Haiti
Drive, in which the school was told by the Haitian Alliance for Progress
in Brooklyn, that this was the largest donation they had received from
any one organization; and the Donate a Dollar for Clean Water Campaign
for the students in Guinea, West Africa with whom the fifth grade
students have established a pen pal relationship; and
WHEREAS, The students learned that many of the students in war torn
Guinea do not have access to clean water through the School to School
International Program and decided they wanted to help; Peninsula Prepar-
atory Academy is continuing to evolve and provide a successful educa-
tional experience for the students and community it serves; and
WHEREAS, Ericka K. Wala has truly been an instrumental component of
the success of Peninsula Preparatory Academy and embodies the spirit of
caring for the Academy's scholars; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of her professional and communi-
ty service, a period of constructive involvement, Ericka K. Wala has
stood constant in dignity, good grace and humor, and has earned the
respect and admiration of her colleagues, family and friends; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Principal Ericka K. Wala upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition by Peninsula Preparatory Academy at its 2010 Unsung
Heroes Awards Banquet, and for her significant contributions to educa-
tion in New York State; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Principal Ericka K. Wala.