Biography
Mr. Bill Cook serves as the Principal at Marvin Ridge High School. He earned his Bachelor's of Marketing and Business Education and Master's in Education Administration degrees from East Carolina University.
Mr. Cook began his teaching career at Sun Valley High School with the Union County Public School System in 1987 as a Marketing Education Teacher Coordinator. Honors that he received while teaching included being named North Carolina's Vocational Education Novice Teacher Award, Sun Valley High School's Teacher of the Year, and North Carolina DECA Advisor of the Year Award.
After making the transition to administration as an assistant principal at Parkwood High School, he received the Advanced Placement certification for administrators from the University of Alabama. Mr. Cook became very involved with the Union County Principal's and Assistant Principal's Association (UCPAPA), and has served as the treasurer, vice president and most recently, president of this organization. Participation in the Assistant Principal's Executive Program (APEP) through UNC-Chapel Hill was a very valuable professional undertaking and growth opportunity during his early years in administration. While serving as the assistant principal at Waxhaw Elementary and Parkwood High School, he was named Assistant Principal of the Year for Union County.
During the past ten years as principal, he has led both Unionville Elementary and Walter Bickett Elementary in making great strides in student achievement, organizational improvements and other school reform initiatives.
The schools he has served in have achieved high growth status eight consecutive years. Unionville achieved School of Distinction status, growing from 68% proficient to 88% proficient in the ABCs testing program. In his five years at Walter Bickett, the performance composite has grown from 48% proficient to 82% proficient.
Other honors during his principalship include:
- Unionville Elementary School, NC School of Distinction 1997-98 through 2000-01
- Unionville Elementary School, National Blue Ribbon Schools Award, 2001 (one of 7 schools in the state)
- Unionville Elementary School, NC Super Safe School Award, 2001 (first school in UCPS to receive this award)
- Educational Office Professionals' Administrator of the Year Award, 2003
- Union County's Principal of the Year Award, 2004
- Walter Bickett Elementary School, Comprehensive Schools' Promising School Award, 2004
- Walter Bickett Elementary School, NC School of Distinction, 2004-2005
- Southwest Region Wachovia Principal of the Year, 2005
Outside of his professional life, he is married to Donna Cook, who is also a principal with the Union County Public School System and is the father of two boys, Cameron (age 18) and Grant (age 13).