SUBMITTED PHOTO A IS A PHOTOGRAPHY Duane Larson, the son of Seaside Mayor Don Larson and the vice principal of Alice Ott Middle School in Portland, was honored as Oregon's Assistant Principal of the Year for 2014-15 during the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators conference in Seaside on June 19.

Duane Larson, the son of Seaside Mayor Don Larson, was selected as Oregon’s Vice Principal of the Year for 2014-15 and honored during the 2015 Confederation of Oregon School Administrators Conference in Seaside.

The Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators selected Larson for the honor, which was open to all high school and middle school vice principals in the state. Larson was announced as the winner in fall 2014.

Larson serves as vice principal of Alice Ott Middle School in Portland, a position he has held since 2002. He attended the COSA Conference, and June 19, he was recognized, along with those who were given other honors. Larson’s wife, Elizabeth; daughter, Rachel; and parents, Don and Lois, were in attendance.

“Having the award presented to me in Seaside, with my parents there, was very special to me,” he said.

Under Larson and Principal James Johnston, Alice Ott Middle School achieved Model School status, designated by the Oregon Department of Education, for the past three years. In his nomination letter, Johnston described Larson as “a cornerstone to what we have been able to accomplish with student achievement.”

Larson attended Cherry Park Elementary School, Floyd Light Middle School and David Douglas High School. After obtaining degrees from George Fox College and Portland State University, he did his student teaching at Alice Ott. In 1991, he joined the David Douglas School District as a sixth-grade teacher at West Powellhurst Elementary School. He also taught math at Floyd Light for three years, served as an administrative intern and was the Community Sports Coordinator before being appointed as vice principal of Alice Ott.

While being recognized individually is nice, Larson said, “success really is a team effort.”

“Alice Ott Middle School has been recognized several times recently in the state, and nationally, and that’s due to strong effort from all staff and students,” he added.

Last year, Johnston was named Oregon’s Middle School Principal of the Year.

Larson is passionate about middle school students and helping them be successful, he said.

“I think this award confirms that my efforts have been successful and encourages me to continue working hard,” he said.

Students come to the school as 11-year-olds and “leave as high-school-ready teenagers,” so they do a lot of growing up, physically and emotionally, during middle school, Larson said.

“It’s rewarding and enjoyable to help them during this transition in their lives. It can also be frustrating, as we deal with a tough population,” Larson said, adding the school has more than 70 percent of students who are on free or reduced-cost lunch and there are more than 30 languages spoken in the students’ homes.

“That being said, we are regularly complimented for how well behaved Alice Ott student are,” he said.