The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has named Dr. Damon Lewis, ’04, of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., the 2025-2026 Middle Level National Principal of the Year. He received the award at a gala celebration in Seattle on July 9, kicking off UNITED – The National Conference on School Leadership.
Lewis is an “outstanding” principal whose “visionary leadership” has transformed his school community, said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe, adding that Lewis has created “innovative approaches that directly address chronic challenges in education—from absenteeism to teacher collaboration—providing effective strategies that school leaders nationwide can implement to drive meaningful change for their students.”
Lewis, who earned a master’s degree in the school counseling program, had previously been named the 2025 Middle School Principal of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools. He has served as principal of Ponus Ridge since July 2015, following four years as the school’s assistant principal. His leadership has helped foster a collaborative academic environment and drive continuous improvement.
“I feel incredibly honored and humbled in accepting this award,” said Lewis. “The Norwalk Public Schools system has placed me in a position to be successful, while the staff at Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy has worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for our students and families. This is a WE award for Norwalk Public Schools and Ponus Ridge. It is great for our district and our building to be recognized on a national level. Additionally, it is great to be recognized by my peers on a national level.”
Under Lewis’ leadership, Ponus Ridge, a grade 6–8 middle school, reduced chronic absenteeism from 31% to 8% in one year. His school has increased the number of minority students in the gifted and talented program and the number of female students in accelerated math. Lewis has championed an equity-driven and “Every Day Counts” culture where PSAT scores for grade eight students outpaced national, state, and district metrics. He is the facilitator for the Black Male Administrator cohort in the district, and he mentors younger principals. He has expanded offerings to include courses such as coding, computer science, robotics, music technology, and immersive media; more than 20 after-school clubs; a Hispanic parent group; an in-school food pantry for families; and a care closet.
The NASSP National Principal of the Year program annually recognizes outstanding middle level and high school principals who have succeeded in providing high quality learning opportunities for students. These principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession.
Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, and the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools may select one middle level principal and one high school principal to represent their state. For a principal of a school that covers both levels, they must submit for either the middle level or high school award.
Then, the applications of these state winners are reviewed by past state principals of the year, industry leaders and experts, and NASSP staff. After these reviews, three finalists are named as contenders for both middle level and high school level National Principal of the Year awards. The NASSP Middle Level National Principal of the Year and High School National Principal of the Year are selected from among the finalists.
