Dana Knoebel named Distinguished Administrator

Dana Knoebel, Curriculum Instruction and Assessment Director for Prek-8, has recently been awarded the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) Distinguished Administrator Award. This award is presented to exceptional Arizona administrators who have exemplified dedication and leadership towards their students, staff, and colleagues. 

Ms. Knoebel was named by the ASA as a Distinguished Administrator for the Educational Services Division. She was honored for her exemplary leadership during the COVID pandemic to lead a team to write and plan lessons for teachers to facilitate online learning when our schools closed last Spring.  She implemented Dysart’s first online school for K-8 students and enrollment exceeded 3,000 students for the 2020-2021 School Year.  As one of the first districts to open for in-person instruction in September 2020, Ms. Knoebel worked with school administration and teachers to redefine what teaching and learning looked like during the pandemic. Finally, Mrs. Knoebel led teams to create a new summer school program for June and July to tackle learning loss and better prepare students for the next school year.  

Ms Knoebel has served in her current position for four years. She previously was the principal at Marley Park Elementary School for six years and the school earned an A+ Excellence in Education Award from the Arizona Educational Foundation and a 'A' label from Arizona Department of Education under her leadership.

Ms. Knoebel will be formally recognized during the ASA Summer Conference Awards Luncheon on Monday, June 14, 2021 in Tucson.

The mission of Arizona School Administrators is to promote and support educational excellence in school leadership. Arizona School Administrators seeks to honor outstanding Arizona administrators for their professionalism, dedication, leadership, and exemplary contributions to education in Arizona.