BETHLEHEM — Mark Warford, assistant principal at Bethlehem Central Middle School since 2008, has been selected as a 2020 New York State Assistant Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

An educator since 1995, Warford began his career at Guilderland’s Farnsworth Middle School where he founded a program for at-risk students called GROW (goal setting, responsibility, organization, work ethic). This program, which he also later set up in East Greenbush and Bethlehem, gives students the ability to achieve in school, while working on foundational skills and habits.

Because of the success of the program, several other local school districts have since established their own GROW programs. At Bethlehem, the GROW program has doubled in size over the last two years, paving the way for at-risk students to have successful high school experiences.

“He maintains the highest expectations of all students, and works tirelessly alongside teachers to demonstrate to students what their potential is and how they can reach it,” said Mike Klugman, the principal of Bethlehem Central Middle School, in a release announcing the award.

“His ‘Let’s have a great day!’ signature sign-off during the morning announcements captures his enthusiasm, which spreads throughout the school,” said parent Beth Kellerman in the release.

Warford has also led the district toward achieving a goal of environmental sustainability. He founded a district-wide committee called the Green Team to change the district’s infrastructure and policies to model sustainability. The middle school initially served as a pilot for all the environmental initiatives now used across the district.

The middle school maintains a small farm, producing thousands of pounds of produce annually, which is served in district cafeterias and a local restaurant, sold at the Delmar Farmers’ Market, and donated to the town’s food pantry. At the same time, the district has eliminated disposable trays, plastic utensils, styrofoam containers, single-use plastic straws, while recycling of paper, glass, plastic, metal, batteries, used electronics, markers, highlighters, and plastic writing utensils.

The boldest initiatives have been to implement food composting across the district and to install a 2.1-megawatt solar array that now provides over 80 percent of the district’s electricity.

In 2012, Bethlehem Middle School was one of the first three public schools in New York to be given the National Green Ribbon award, and was again recognized in 2017 with the governor’s award for environmental stewardship.

“Mark is one of the most powerful role models in our community,” Klugman said. “He is esteemed and admired as much for his leadership as for his ethics and I have never worked with an assistant principal whose impact was so widely distributed throughout all schools in his district and throughout his community."

Bethlehem Town Supervisor David VanLuven described Warford as “one of those rare individuals who is not only actively changing the world to be a better place, but is teaching and inspiring our children to do the same.”

Warford received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the State University of New York College at Oswego and his master’s degree in administration from the University at Albany.

Warford will be honored for his accomplishments at an awards ceremony at a later date.