Robin Buckingham, principal at Claggett Creek Middle School, didn’t begin her business economic degree at Willamette University intending to become an educator. 

That decision came in her final semester of the program.

Buckingham, who grew up attending Salem-Keizer schools, said her parents were educators and her father became a school administrator. Her decision to enter the field was prompted by a desire to invest in and create opportunities for others.

“I’ve always had people that have believed in me when maybe I didn’t believe in myself, or thought that I was better than I thought I was, ” Buckingham said.

She wants to be someone who provides that same confidence boost to students, staff and teachers.

With 25 years in education and three years in her first principal position, Buckingham recently was recognized as the 2026 Oregon Middle School Principal of the Year. 

“To me, this whole recognition is not really about me,” Buckingham said. “My name might be attached, but it’s more about the people that have invested in me through the last 25 years, and especially the last 10 years or 12 years.”

Buckingham believes the award reflects the work of her students, teachers and staff as well. 

The award is given by the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, after Buckingham was nominated by Matt Biondi, the district’s director of middle schools. COSA Executive Director Krista Parent surprised Buckingham with the news during a school visit last month.

“Buckingham was selected for her exceptional instructional leadership, sustained academic results, and her ability to build inclusive, high-functioning school communities that support both students and staff,” stated a COSA press release.

Biondi wrote in nominating the Claggett Creek principal that Buckingham’s leadership is credited for test score improvements in the 2024-25 school year. According to the release, English language arts scores have increased by 9.5% overall in the 2024-25 school year, with a 13.2% increase for eighth grade students. Math scores increased by 5.5% school-wide. 

Biondi praised Buckingham’s leadership and efforts to improve student belonging and support through student club expansions, building relationships with the school’s Islander community and “strengthening” support for students learning English. 

“Robin is an exceptional leader whose clarity of purpose, deep integrity, and unwavering commitment to equity have transformed her school community,” Biondi wrote. “Her leadership reflects what is best in public education, visionary direction grounded in instructional excellence, belonging, and high expectations for every learner.”

Prior to serving as Claggett Creek’s principal, Buckingham worked in various teaching roles. Primarily at the middle school level, she has taught math, social studies, Spanish, health and physical education. 

Buckingham said she taught in McMinnville for eight years before moving to the Salem-Keizer district. She transitioned to administration around eight years ago, starting as an instructional mentor at Straub Middle School before becoming an assistant principal at Leslie Middle School. 

She has also worked at South Salem High School and the district’s EDGE Online program. 

Buckingham described Keizer as “a smaller community within our bigger district. She noted that many in town have been life-long supporters of the schools and said she is grateful to have been accepted into the community. 

During her time as principal Buckingham said she has emphasized “high expectations with high support.” In practice, she said this means students are expected to be at grade-level and teachers work to be “intentional” with support necessary to meet the standard. 

As an example, if she sees a student “productively struggling” to find the answer to a question, she would consider ways to ask the question differently or consider if the student knows the answer but doesn’t know how to write it. 

“It’s figuring those pieces out, which takes a lot for our teams,” Buckingham said. “We’re starting to see the, kind of, fruits of that labor.” 

Beyond test score improvement, Buckingham believes another accomplishment is improving students’ sense of belonging, as reflected in survey data. Student clubs and creating connections between students and staff are ways she has achieved this. 

Looking to the future, Buckingham said she wants to continue fostering high expectations and refining the school’s systems – which she says are working. Specifically, these systems are for intervening when a student needs support behaviorally, academically or otherwise. 

Buckingham hopes the award brings attention to her school’s students, teachers and staff. 

“That’s what I would want more than anything, is our school to be seen and heard and valued.” 

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at [email protected].

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