As my district’s director of equity and inclusion, I know how much school leaders care about promoting success for every student, beginning on the very first day of school. This year is off to a complicated start, and I also know that it can be easy to feel like we’re already behind on planning anti-racist […]

My journey with restorative practices is similar to that of a lot of folks who believe in the power of student relationships.  After years as a teacher, assistant principal and then as a principal in Baltimore, I’d seen the impact that investing in relationships can have on school culture and on students’ futures, and I […]

As you lean into planning for a new year, I know you are thinking through how best to support students in what will hopefully be a more normal year. I’ve worked in several schools as a leader, and what I’ve learned is we have to teach to the heart before we can teach to the […]

Leading anti-racist instruction means shining a light on unconscious bias with our teams

As you build your master schedule, take a tip or two from your fellow leaders.

This is part of a series on recruiting and retaining teachers of color, presented in collaboration with leader Sharif El-Mekki. The first post, on focusing on the prerequisites for recruitment, can be found here. The second post, on six steps for more inclusive hiring, can be found here.  When I first became a principal, I […]

This is part of a series on recruiting and retaining teachers of color, presented in collaboration with leader Sharif El-Mekki. The first post, on focusing on the prerequisites for recruitment, can be found here.  By now, most school leaders are familiar with the research that all students benefit when they learn from Black educators and […]

In Principal Matt Hornbeck’s school community, implementing restorative practices reduced detentions, suspensions and office referrals and increased teacher retention.

Sharif El-Mekki is a former principal and the founder of the Center for Black Educator Development in Philadelphia, PA. This is part of our series on reimagining education. I was a principal at Mastery Charter School-Shoemaker in Philadelphia for many years. We took to heart the concept of windows and mirrors, decorating our walls with […]

Keeanna Warren is a high school principal in Indiana. You can read more about what restorative practices look like in her school community here. Follow her on Twitter @KeeannaWarren. This past year, my high school transitioned to the complete integration of restorative practices – which means we center our days on the relationships we have […]