How lunch duty became a cornerstone of my leadership
As a principal, I spent lunch periods in the cafeteria whenever possible. It was a place to deepen connections – and a fertile ground for surfacing feedback and data. I’d sit with a student and say, “Tell me about your experience at this school, in this class, with me as your principal, and put a […]
5 ways to make Black history part of your year-round leadership
As educational leaders, we play a crucial role in shaping the narrative of Black History Month within our schools. While teachers spearhead Black History Month classroom lessons during February, it’s our responsibility to integrate Black history meaningfully into our school-wide vision and foster a commitment to anti-racist education and equity. I’ve been thinking about this […]
How my team and I promote students’ positive self-identities all year round
Wondering what asset-based language sounds like in your interactions with students? These principles can help.
4 reflections for building more equitable schools
How each of us can build environments of consistent, unconditional support for every student.
Our approach to creating a community-centered school
To encourage family participation and engagement, we must center community in all we do.
3 reminders for equity-focused leaders
During Hurricane Katrina, I was a new teacher. In 2020, I was a new principal. Here’s how these experiences shaped my approach to equity.
3 key leadership questions for Black History Month and beyond
With the humanity of our students at stake, we have to sit with some serious questions.
How to reject the “achievement gap” and boost our belief in every student
We’ve been looking at the so-called “achievement gap” for decades and too often misreading it as a sign that some students innately do better, perform better or are just somehow better than others. Depending on your environment, that’s not something you might say out loud or take seriously as an idea. But it could still […]
Look, listen & learn: Reflections from my first year as a new principal
For 19 years, I worked in the same school district. I started as a teacher, then various Instructional and Climate Support positions, and then transitioned to the role of Assistant Principal. Then last year, I started a new role as Principal in a new building and a new district. It was important to me to […]
Leader tip: Creating a student spotlight, step by step
One day during a staff meeting, our team was discussing school culture and strategies to focus on student strengths and family wisdom. A teacher spoke about the importance of centering student voice in all of our communications – and that inspired us to create a “student voice feature” for our school newsletter, highlighting one student […]