Mosaic Elementary School Principal Mahri Aste is one of only nine school leaders recognized nationally by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a recipient of the 2022 Terrell H. Bell Awards for Outstanding School Leadership. The award recognizes outstanding school leaders and the vital role they play in guiding students and schools to excellence, frequently under challenging circumstances.

“I’m so honored and grateful for this recognition,” Aste says. “It’s a privilege to be surrounded by so many amazing kids and staff at Mosaic. I’ve tried to be a leader who celebrates joy and excellence every day in our important work.”

Principal Aste and her staff work to ensure students at Mosaic—who come from 40 countries speaking 28 different languages—feel emotionally, mentally, and physically safe. The staff is diverse in terms of gender, race, age, experience, religion, and ethnic backgrounds so that students can see role models and learn from people that look like and represent them. Principal Aste focuses explicitly on how to communicate across cultures and develop school-wide strategies that are culturally responsive. 

“In her 32 years as a teacher and leader, Dr. Aste has been a dedicated and skilled educator and leader among her peers,” says Douglas Tyson, assistant superintendent of Region 1. “The most evident example of how Principal Aste’s leadership has impacted the school can be seen in the achievement of Mosaic students. In the last three years, Mosaic has made significant strides in closing achievement gaps for Black and Hispanic students and English language learners. We are proud to have her impact in our community recognized by the Department of Education.” 

Principals chosen as Terrel H. Bell Award recipients have transformed their schools, according to the Department of Education press release. “Their vision and collaborative leadership styles have produced outstanding results for all of their students to develop academically, emotionally, physically, socially, and culturally,” it states. “These principals have shown that with effective leadership, skilled teaching, and high expectations, all students can learn.”

The award is part of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Mosaic was named a National Blue Ribbon School earlier this fall.