Principal Baruti Kafele

Featured Keynote Programs

Based on Principal Kafele’s best selling book, The Principal 50: Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring School-wide Excellence, Principal Kafele makes the case that building a learning environment that inspires school-wide excellence can never be overstated; particularly in lower-performing schools. In this high-energy, highly-engaging workshop, Principal Kafele will challenge principals, assistant principals and aspiring principals to look critically within themselves through reflective questions about their leadership practices relative to how they inspire energy, excitement and enthusiasm for learning throughout their buildings daily. In his inimitable style, Principal Kafele will lay out the touchstones for maintaining strong leadership habits, inspiring excellence and collaboration in others, and engaging an entire school community in striving to be the best. Topics include: The Attitude of the Leader, School Brand, School Climate and Culture, Building Collegial Relationships, Instructional Leadership, Accountability and Responsibility, Planning and Organization, Professional Learning for the Leadership, Professional Development for Staff, and Parental and Community Engagement.

The list of school leadership responsibilities is an infinite list that never reaches completion. As a school leader, there are always a plethora of things to do with no ending in sight. The challenge for school leaders is how to prioritize them – what are those nonnegotiables that must be at the top of a school leaders list of responsibilities and priorities? In this high-energy, highly-engaging professional development workshop or keynote address, veteran and award-winning principal, Principal Kafele provides school leaders with ten “nonnegotiable” items that all school leaders must prioritize and pay close attention to daily toward maximizing their school leadership effectiveness. He says that although the responsibilities of a school leader are endless, failure to attain maximum results within these ten “nonnegotiables” could translate into gross underperformance of any given school. Following are the categories for Principal Kafele’s 10 nonnegotiables for effective school leadership:

1. School Leadership & Intended Outcomes
2. School Leadership & Maintaining an Attitude / Vision of Excellence
3. School Leadership & Instructional Effectiveness
4. School Leadership & Professional Learning
5. School Leadership & Keeping Staff Informed / Inspired
6. School Leadership & Modeling Learning
7. School Leadership & School Climate / Culture
8. School Leadership & Physical / Emotional Safety
9. School Leadership & Parental Engagement
10. School Leadership & Expertise in School Law / School Budget / School Curriculum

In far too many schools across the U.S. – particularly urban schools, the assistant principals are relegated to the role of “disciplinarian” or “Dean of Students.” They spend entire school days disciplining and suspending instead of spending the bulk of their days coaching and observing instruction as instructional leaders must do. Rooted in Principal Kafele's book, The ASSISTANT Principal 50, this high-energy, highly interactive half or full-day workshop or high-energy keynote address asks assistant principals the overarching question, "What is your value to your school academically?" It will provide assistant principals with the information they need in order to function as true school instructional leaders and coaches. Principal Kafele contends that far too many assistant principals are ill-prepared to one day step into the role of the principalship because they simply have not been exposed to functioning as principals in general and instructional leaders in particular. This presentation will provide assistant principals with the “tools” they need in order to approach their current positions beyond disciplinarians and cafeteria duty. They will be better prepared to assist the principal with "moving the academic needle" as the #2 instructional leaders and coaches in their buildings. This presentation is also ideal for principals, assistant superintendents and superintendents toward "reimagining" the role of the assistant principal.

Based on Principal Kafele’s book, The ASPIRING Principal 50: Critical Questions for New and Future School Leaders, Principal Kafele asserts that in schools across America, there are thousands of classroom teachers, assistant principals and counselors who aspire to one day become principals. The problem is that many of them do not have the necessary access to seasoned and effective school leaders (other than their own) who can share the ins and outs of school leadership toward helping them to determine if this is what they truly want to do. Additionally, there are a plethora of new principals across America who were successful assistant principals but learned quickly that being the principal is a completely different world from the assistant principalship. This session was designed for aspiring administrators, assistant principals and new principals. It fills the void of those heart-to-heart conversations with seasoned principals. It provides new, aspiring and assistant principals with a wealth of information to consider toward becoming effective school leaders. This workshop (or series of workshops) is particularly useful as a compliment to an existing district leadership development program.

The discussion on gaps in student achievement continue to be one of the most important discussions in education today; particularly as it relates to the underachievement of children of color. Equally challenging for educators is the continued lack of student motivation, undesirable student behaviors and the overall underachievement of at-risk student populations across racial and ethnic lines. In this highly engaging, thought-provoking workshop, Principal Kafele will assert that the greatest difficulty to closing the achievement gap is the overwhelming assumption that the achievement gap is in fact, the problem. He says that the achievement gap is a direct consequence of the failure to adequately address what he coined, the Attitude Gap (the gap between those students who have the will to achieve excellence and those who do not) that continues to persist in American classrooms. He will share with teachers how to close the Attitude Gap in their classrooms through a classroom climate / culture framework comprised of the following five strands: Environment for Learning, Attitude toward Students, Relationship with Students, Compassion for Students and Relevance in Instruction.

THE topic in education today is the topic of EQUITY. At its core, equity means, "meeting youngsters where they are, as they are."  Principal Kafele argues that this requires a teacher who possess an “EQUITY MINDSET.” He asserts that if equity is all about meeting the individual needs of all of the learners in the classroom, “equity can’t solely be something THAT YOU DO.” He states emphatically that “equity must additionally be WHO YOU ARE.”

As a keynote address, Principal Kafele will deliver an inspiring and empowering message centered around developing an "equity mindset" toward ensuring the academic, social and emotional growth and development of all the learners in the classroom.

As a half or full day workshop (or series of workshops), Principal Kafele will assist the client with selecting the most appropriate of the following six strands for your school or district based upon need and length of session(s) as follows:

I. Equity and the Reality of My Classroom
One of the most important questions one can ask oneself regarding equity is, "What is equity and does equity abound in my classroom?" It's an important consideration for each and every classroom teacher. In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will lead a discussion on what equity is and what it looks like, sounds like and feels like when implemented with fidelity in the classroom.

II. Equity or Equality? What's the Difference?
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele breaks down the difference between an “equity mindset teacher” and an “equality mindset teacher” while simultaneous comparing and contrasting an “equity mindset classroom” from an “equality mindset classroom.”

III. Equity and the Individuality of the Learners
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele makes the case that the individuality of each student matters. He will provide attendees with strategies toward ensuring that student individuality, student cultural identity and student “voice” play prominent roles within their schools and classrooms.

IV. Equity and Being a Culturally Responsive Practitioner
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will provide attendees with strategies toward being culturally-responsive practitioners with a particular emphasis being placed on what students “see, hear, feel and experience” daily in their classrooms. He will assist attendees toward developing the necessary cultural competence toward engaging productively with diverse learners.

V. Equity and Culturally-Relevant Pedagogy
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will discuss the significance of culturally-relevant teaching and learning in a diverse student learning environment. He will make the case that toward making learning fun, stimulating and engaging, it must be relatable where students are afforded the opportunity of “seeing themselves” in the learning toward increasing the probability that they will see the relevance of what is being taught toward their lives.

VI. Equity and Me
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will focus on the actions of the teacher in areas including but not limited to, “keeping the playing field level,” confronting implicit biases that may exist, and eradicating disproportionality. This session is all about ensuring that attendees always view their students and their practice through an “equity lens.”

For the past ten years, the whole idea of equity in the classroom has evolved to unimaginable proportions…which is a good thing. One of the challenges however is the interpretation of what equity in the classroom actually is. There are a ton of interpretations and definitions out there. Rooted in Principal Kafele’s 34 years in education, he decided in 2020 to write The Equity & Social Justice Education 50 toward lending his voice to the discussion of what equity is and what it is not in America’s classrooms. Principal Kafele contends that any discussion, training, writing etc. on equity must contain, at a minimum, his “Three Equity Nonnegotiables” which are:

Student Individuality - Visible or Invisible?
What is it about my role as an “Equity-Mindset Teacher” that the individuality of EACH of my learners (academically, socially and emotionally) is acknowledged, appreciated, respected and visible?

Student Cultural Identity - Accentuated or Denied?
What is it about my role as an “Equity-Mindset Teacher” that the cultural / racial identity of EACH of my learners is acknowledged, appreciated, respected and accentuated?

Student “Voice” - Distinct or Obscure?
What is it about my role as an “Equity-Mindset Teacher” that the “voice” of EACH of my learners is acknowledged, appreciated, respected and distinct?

In this high-energy keynote address or highly-engaging workshop, Principal Kafele will make the case that if true equity is to occur for EACH of the learners in the classroom, student individuality, student cultural identity and student “voice” matter exponentially.

It's been over 60 years since the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court decision back in 1954, but over 60 years later, the masses of Black children continue to find themselves on the wrong side of the "achievement gap," while simultaneously experiencing the highest rates of disciplinary referrals, suspensions and expulsions. Dramatic, significant and immediate change must therefore occur in America's classrooms toward shifting this reality for Black students. EQUITY MUST BE AT THE HEART OF THIS SHIFT which is inclusive of your Black students' INDIVIDUALITY, CULTURAL IDENTITY & "VOICE"...the ability to "express themselves" and the ability to "find themselves."

Toward sustaining equitable teaching practices for Black students, Principal Kafele argues that it is imperative that the teacher develops a true “EQUITY MINDSET.” He contends that if equity is all about meeting the individual needs of all of the learners in the classroom, “equity can’t solely be something THAT YOU DO.” He emphatically asserts that “equity must also be WHO YOU ARE.” In this half or full day workshop or keynote address, Principal Kafele will assist participants with developing an "equity mindset" toward ensuring the academic, social and emotional growth and development of their Black students in equitable classroom learning environments where "culture-blindness" and "color-blindness" have been rendered obsolete.

As a keynote address, Principal Kafele will deliver an inspiring and empowering message centered around developing an "equity mindset" toward improving opportunities and outcomes for Black students.

As a half or full day workshop (or series of workshops), Principal Kafele will assist the client with selecting the most appropriate of the following six strands for your school or district based upon need and length of session(s) as follows:

I. Equity and the Reality of My Classroom for My Black Students
One of the most important questions one can ask oneself regarding equity is, "What is equity and does equity abound in my classroom?" It's an important consideration for each and every classroom teacher. In this empowering, highly-engaging strand, Principal Kafele will lead a discussion on what equity is and what it looks, sounds and feels like for Black students when implemented with fidelity in the classroom.

II. Equity or Equality? What's the Difference and What are the Implications for My Black Students?
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele breaks down the difference between an “equity mindset teacher” and an “equality mindset teacher” while simultaneous comparing and contrasting an “equity mindset classroom” from an “equality mindset classroom” including the consequences of both for Black students.

III. Equity and the Individuality of My Black Students
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele makes the case that the individuality of each student matters. He will provide attendees with strategies toward ensuring that student individuality, student cultural identity and student “voice” play prominent roles within their schools and classrooms - particularly for their Black students toward creating a true equitable learning environment.

IV. Equity, Culturally-Responsive Practices and My Black Students
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will provide attendees with strategies toward being culturally-responsive practitioners with a particular emphasis being placed on what their Black students “see, hear, feel and experience” daily in their classrooms. He will assist attendees toward developing the necessary cultural competence toward engaging productively with their Black learners.

V. Equity, Culturally-Relevant Pedagogy and My Black Students
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will discuss the significance of culturally-relevant teaching and learning in a diverse student learning environment. He will make the case that toward making learning fun, stimulating and engaging for their Black students, it must be relatable where their Black students are afforded the opportunity of “seeing themselves” in the learning toward increasing the probability that they will see the relevance of what is being taught toward their lives.

VI. Equity, Me and My Black Students
In this empowering, highly engaging strand, Principal Kafele will focus on the actions of the teacher in areas including but not limited to, “keeping the playing field level,” confronting implicit biases that may exist, and eradicating disproportionality toward Black students. This session is all about ensuring that attendees always view their students and their practice through an “equity lens.”

The plight of the Black male learner continues to pose a major challenge for educators at all levels throughout the U.S. In this highly engaging, thought-provoking workshop, Principal Kafele will provide educators with an analysis as well as specific strategies that can be implemented immediately toward effectively motivating their Black male learners to strive for academic excellence. He contends that the crisis of the Black male learner is much deeper and far wider than simply deficiencies in math and reading. With a national high school graduation rate of only 47% coupled with staggering suspension rates and chronic underachievement, Principal Kafele contends that clearly, we as educators have failed to identify the true essence of the problem. He says that as long as schools fail to capture the attention of their otherwise brilliant Black male learners, we will continue to see large numbers of them joining gangs, winding up in juvenile detention facilities and dying in the streets. Principal Kafele will share proven strategies he’s used over his 21 year “mission” as a public school teacher and principal which inspired thousands of his Black male learners to consistently soar academically through the following five strands: Attitude toward Black Male Learners, Relationship with Black Male Learners, Compassion for Black Male Learners, Relevance in Instruction and an in depth discussion on how to launch a Young Men’s Empowerment Program in your school.

As America shifted with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor (and now, Daunte Wright), classroom implications were inevitable. The prevailing question in the education world therefore became, “how will schools and classrooms embrace the various issues of social justice that are currently pervading American society – particularly in schools within communities of historically oppressed and marginalized populations?” In this workshop or keynote address, Principal Kafele will assist participants with the infusion of social justice education into their instruction utilizing an approach that is both student-centered and interdisciplinary. Based on Principal Kafele's forthcoming book, The Classroom Equity & Social Justice Education 50, this empowering workshop is comprised of the following five strands: Social Justice Education...What Is It?; Social Justice Education and Classroom Instruction; Social Justice Education and Professional Learning; Social Justice Education and My Own Reality; and Social Justice Education and Racial Justice Education: Are They the Same? Principal Kafele states emphatically that "The absence of social justice education in America's classrooms is an injustice to America's children."

Principal Kafele contends emphatically that, “The purpose of staff supervision is the continued improvement of instruction!” Due to the complexities of the principalship, it is easy for principals to be so inundated by the non-instructional aspects of school leadership that the instructional side of their leadership suffers. When their instructional side suffers, it adversely impacts the entire school. The principal is the instructional leader of the school. Consequently, there is a direct correlation between how effectively the principal leads the school instructionally and student achievement. To that end, in this highly-engaging, self-reflective workshop (or keynote address), Principal Kafele will provide school leaders with strategies toward maintaining a focus on the instructional side of their leadership toward increasing the probability that achievement will soar. Topics covered will include the correlation between instructional leadership and student achievement; building collegial relationships with staff; planning, organization and time management; and the principal as professional developer.