Success Starts with the Principal

I just finished reading the Independent article on Franklin School students’ academic success. Franklin is a one-of-a-kind school because Franklin has had Casie Kilgore leading the way for many years.

About six or seven years ago, I had the pleasure of working with Franklin’s fabulous teachers under Kilgore’s leadership. I saw firsthand her clear vision, her no-nonsense, no-excuses directives to improve student learning, and her fearless insistence that teachers at Franklin meet high standards of teaching excellence. These are the characteristics of intrepid educational leadership that every school can learn from and emulate.

Kilgore absolutely created the “village” that she credits for shaping the students at her school. Without her leadership Franklin would not be where it is today. She has persisted and persevered over the years even when the district was not completely supportive or told her there was no money or cited obstacles in her way. She always found a way.

This bold approach is what is needed from our educators today, that and the love that Casie Kilgore has for her students and Franklin families. She is remarkable.