Retaining teachers of color has been a problem in Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS) that I encountered when I started working there as a school-level leader in July 2016. This Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) aimed to identify and understand the factors that influenced the retention of teachers of color in elementary schools, specifically…

A successful superintendent once shared that, according to his research, the primary reason people remain with a company or a school is they enjoy those with whom they work. The second reason they stay? They enjoy those for whom they work. These kinds of leaders stand out in the crowd. They inspire people to work harder and improve themselves.…

Staff and student surveys at Lane Elementary School (pseudonym) confirm that students lack motivation to complete class work and often struggle to interact appropriately with one another. Similar concerns are reported across the United States as indicated by national Gallup Poll results on student motivation, peer relationships, and feelings of…