Liz Streubel, who earned her master’s degree in special education from UW-Oshkosh in 2003, has been named Wisconsin Elementary Associate Principal of the Year.
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh alumna Liz Streubel, ‘03, an assistant principal in southeast Wisconsin, has been named the 2026 Wisconsin Elementary Associate Principal of the Year by the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators.
Liz Streubel
Streubel, who grew up in Manitowoc and now lives in Thiensville, received the surprise announcement during a schoolwide assembly Nov. 14 in front of hundreds of cheering students and staff.
“It was quite the surprise,” Streubel said. “I would say pretty humbled. It is an incredible honor to be recognized for work that I don’t do alone. It takes the wonderful staff here and the wonderful families that we collaborate with to do right by kids.”
Liz Streubel, a UWO alumna, was surprised with the associate principal of the year honor at a school assembly.
Since 2022, Streubel has served as assistant principal at Wilson Elementary, which is part of the Mequon-Thiensville School District. With about 600 students, Wilson is known for its energy, connectedness and student-centered culture, qualities Streubel says reflect the collective heart of the school community.
Before becoming an administrator, Streubel spent 17 years as a special education teacher and later four years as a special education coordinator (program support teacher). Her deep commitment to inclusive practices is rooted in the training she received at the UW-Oshkosh, where she earned her master’s degree in special education in 2003.
“I cannot say enough about the education that I had at Oshkosh,” she said. “It was like I discovered this hidden gem. I had amazing professors and they put so much emphasis on what an honor and privilege it is to teach students with disabilities. That made me feel like it was something special to do, something I wanted to be part of.”
Streubel began her career intending to teach English after completing her undergraduate degree at UW-Madison. But a few formative experiences led her to pursue special education instead. She chose UW-Oshkosh for its strong reputation in educator preparation and remembers the admissions interview—then part of the process—as the moment she knew the program was the right fit.
“Something just drew me to the program,” she said. “I felt like this was going to be an excellent experience and education, and it really was.”
Today, she brings that foundation into her leadership role, working closely with staff, families and students to build a school where every child feels safe, valued and supported.
Streubel will be formally recognized at the Wisconsin Associate Principal convention in January. As part of the statewide honor, she will also receive $1,000 to support a project of her choosing at Wilson Elementary.
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Association of Wisconsin School Administrators: Recognizes Mequon-Thiensville’s Elizabeth Streubel as Wisconsin Elementary Associate Principal of the Year