Gordon has been the principal at the Paul Robeson High School for Human Services since 2013.
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He transformed the school, which was once one of Philadelphia's 30 lowest-performing schools and in danger of closing permanently.
He has been credited with developing a model program for college and career readiness and achieving a 95 percent graduation rate.
He told me today that he learned he'd won one of the awards after learning one of his students had passed away, the victim of gun violence.
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"I had been dealing the entire day with the family just trying to console and be of support," Gordon remembered. "And then later on that afternoon I got a phone call by the chair of the committee and when he told me about the award, that I was the state principal of the year, I actually cried to be honest with you because I had such an emotional day. So to go from such an emotional low to an emotional high was a challenge for me personally."
Gordon added, "This award is just a testament to the hard work of our staff and our students and our parents who came in and believed in me from day one. We stuck together as a team. They are some of the hardest working staff and students I have ever had the privilege of being associated with. And this is just the fruits of their labors, and I am just proud to be a representative of all the wonderful work that's happening in our school."
As a state winner, Principal Gordon will be a nominee for the National Principal of the Year award.