Principals Must Be Hope Dealers In Schools and Communities

During a recent conversation, Murleen Coakley, principal of Greenfield Union in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, reminded me how much being a great principal…

3 Reasons Why Principals Should Make Time to Teach

COVID-19 rocked our school the first week of our opening this school year. We started the year with three staff members out due to the…

Hey Principals, Y’all Alright?

How many of you have asked the question, “How are principals doing during this time?” Since March of 2020, when our education system was turned…

4 Ways Administrators Can Better Support Teachers This Year

Teachers are walking away from education, but the pandemic has accelerated the exit of some educators. I have spoken to several principals who have not…

Black Boys and Men Need More Appreciation and Less Stereotyping

For those of us who’ve been educators for decades, social media can reveal the reverberating impact of our efforts, and sometimes the work that remains…

Are Teachers Leaving Because of Pandemic Stress? It’s Complicated.

Plenty of news stories have raised concerns about mass teacher shortages due to pandemic stress. And it’s true that teachers, principals and district leaders have…

How I Navigate the Principal’s Gambit to Keep Everyone on the Board

This ain’t checkers. It’s chess.  It was guidance offered to me by Wayne Greer, a veteran principal and mentor, as I joined the ranks of school leadership…

Black Principals Can Serve as a Bridge To Get More Black Teachers Into the Classroom

The research is clear on the impact of Black teachers on Black student achievement. Black students who have had at least one Black teacher are…

Great Principals Are Strong Instructional Leaders First

School principals must feel a lot like circus performers. Just as a performer is expected to juggle multiple balls, bowling pins, or torches while dangling…

If You’re Serious About Equity, Prove It by Including Leaders of Color at Your School

When I graduated from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education with a master’s degree in school leadership, I was confident I would quickly be hired as…