The school I help lead was designed for students who have experienced some interruption in their high school education, either because of academic issues, life disruptions or both. Our program helps support them along the path to graduation and connects them with resources. Because of this, social emotional learning (SEL) has long been our priority. […]

When we reached the point in the pandemic when students could return to in-person learning, we wanted to make them feel like they could come back to the safest, most welcome space possible. We did away with rules about hats and headphones. We did away with all kinds of things in order to extend grace […]

By hosting monthly “Coffee With the Principal” sessions, I bring families SEL skills, staff expertise & support.

When I joined my K-8 school community a few years ago, our students were, on average, in the 18th percentile in math achievement. These days, despite all the disruptions and traumas they’ve experienced during pandemic learning, our students are demonstrating mastery at and beyond the 40th percentile, with more and more students in the 90th […]

I’m the principal of a K-8 school serving students and families in a high-poverty community. When I first joined my school community, we were on the brink of closing. But in the last few years, my team and I have empowered our students to grow from the 18th percentile in math to reach and surpass […]

At the start of the pandemic, one major adjustment we had to make was accepting that the new challenges weren’t going to end quickly. For me, the hardest part has been trying to maintain a sense of consistency and community. As my team faces each new challenge, I try to bring our work back to […]

Seeing the school from a student’s perspective sharpens all of my decisions.

Promoting achievement means making sure every student has champions at school. Here’s my approach.

Over the past several years, Baltimore City Public Schools has been working to transform schools and communities by fully implementing restorative practices (RP).  As leader Karen Webber puts it, RP has been a primary tool in working to end the school-to-prison pipeline, advocating for students in crisis and reducing arrests and suspensions across the city […]

As your school year gets under way, we wanted to share some favorite #PrincipalHacks from your fellow leaders, covering everything from family connections to must-have supplies. Thank you for everything you’re doing to support teachers and students right now – from big undertakings to small, meaningful “hacks.”