ACSA’s Administrator of the Year Awards recognize leaders who elevate both student outcomes and school culture. This year’s Secondary Principal of the Year, Aaron Palm, exemplifies that balance through steady, student-centered leadership at Oak Ridge High School.

Palm’s work is grounded in a clear commitment to equity and access. He led the creation of an embedded intervention system that delivers academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support within the school day, ensuring students receive help early, before challenges become barriers. Guided by data, the system strengthens instructional alignment while promoting shared ownership across campus.

Under Palm’s leadership, Oak Ridge High School consistently demonstrates strong performance in Advanced Placement and CAASPP outcomes, reflecting a culture where high expectations are matched with meaningful support. He prioritizes access to rigorous coursework while maintaining structures that help all students succeed, reinforcing both excellence and inclusion.

Equally impactful is Palm’s focus on school climate. He established a campus–community forum where students, families, and staff had an opportunity to engage in open dialogue around issues such as bullying and racism. These conversations created actionable results: building trust, accountability, and a stronger sense of belonging. Palm’s partnership with student leaders further amplifies student voice and fosters a culture of empathy and service.

“Aaron Palm is a principal who leads with heart and purpose,” El Dorado High School Principal Elizabeth Sisson said. “His impact on students, staff, and the broader school community is profound and lasting.”

Palm has been a member of ACSA since 2006, serving in multiple leadership positions within the El Dorado Charter, including president. He currently serves as the Region 2 member at large for the North State Spring Conference.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Always live by the test of reasonableness. I was taught that by a prior principal I worked with. We have rules and policies in place to make sure our schools function. But we can never forget that we are working with people who have unique challenges. We can’t allow an individual with a reasonable need to be rolled over by one size fits all policies. We need to honor people’s humanity.

What are some life hacks that you would recommend for a new administrator? The bigger the school, the harder it is to stay connected with everyone. I started a blog-style website for staff. I try to use it to help create community by sharing updates, accomplishments, and other celebrations. The site has tons of other useful information and has become a “go-to” for a lot of folks.

What would people be surprised to learn about you? I love to write fictional stories. I have a creative side that I love to explore.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in your current position? Our school has really struggled to meet the academic needs of special education students. My hardest challenge has been leveraging our PLCs and intervention time to put a focus on these students and continue to experiment until we find success. This year we started to see the fruit of our labor. Our special education students saw their CAASPP scores jump 19 percentage points in math, 10 percentage points in English, and 14 percentage points in science.

How has ACSA supported your career? ACSA has been extremely beneficial to my career. I have taken full advantage of the ACSA Personnel Academy. I appreciate the lunch time YouTube updates that keep me informed with the latest news I need to do my job. But the biggest benefit is the network of professionals I have met. Thanks to ACSA, I have a large network of administrators I lean on all the time for advice and help.

The theme for this year’s Leadership Summit is “You Belong Here: Leadership for Every Student.” What does belonging look like for you, your staff or your students? For us, belonging is ensuring that every student has a place and an adult they can lean on. We have fully implemented the LINK program to develop the school culture of kindness and inclusion we want. We have countless extra and co-curricular activities and over 60 clubs for students to choose from. We want every student to find their home within a home. Because belonging comes down to one-on-one personal relationships and students ultimately knowing that the adults and peers at our school care about them. The same goes for staff, we meet people where they are and help each other with our challenges. We all have a place to belong at school.