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Pasco principal Susan Sparks will receive MLK Jr. award

By the Tri-City Herald
Published: Jan. 15, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. PST — Updated: Jan. 15, 2013 at 7:06 a.m. PST
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November 23, 2012 - Principal Susan Sparks greets students as they walk through a hallway of Ruth Livingston Elementary School in Pasco. Sparks was named Elementary School Principal of the Year by two state organizations. She is also the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award Winner. (BOB BRAWDY/Tri-City Herald)

Susan Sparks is the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award winner.

Sparks has been the principal at Ruth Livingston Elementary School since 2000. During her tenure, her students have exceeded state averages and standardized test scores, according to Saundra Hill, superintendent of the Pasco School District.

"Susan's vision, practical know-how, and stable leadership are the reasons Livingston is successful," Hill said in a statement.

Sparks started her education career as a third-grade teacher at Livingston in 1982. She moved into administration in 1999.

She will be honored at the annual MLK Day ceremony at Columbia Basin College at noon Jan. 21.

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