Albert Hill Middle School principal invited to meet with U.S. Secretary of Education

LaShante Knight was selected among a small group of principals selected nationwide to give input on the Department of Education’s programs, policies, and initiatives.

January 29, 2016; 10:08 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

LaShante Knight, principal at Albert Hill Middle School, was recently invited to meet with Acting Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. and senior U.S. Department of Education officials, for a day of learning and advising, as part of the Principals at ED initiative held earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

The goal of the program was to bring groups of innovative and successful principals from across the country together to learn more about federal programs and share experiences from their jobs as school leaders.

Throughout the day, the principals met with senior staff from across the agency to learn about and give input on a variety of the Department’s programs, policies and initiatives. The day began with principals from across the nation sharing their responses to the State of the Union with Acting Secretary King.

“Great school leadership matters now more than ever. So much of the work ahead rests on the leadership of principals and educators in our schools and classrooms who make a difference in students’ lives every day,” said Acting Secretary King. “What happens in classrooms and school buildings shapes students’ lives and opportunities—particularly for students who have the odds most stacked against them.”

The visit was coordinated through the Department’s Principal Ambassador Fellow (PAF) program. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Education launched the first PAF program, modeled on the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program, in order to better allow local leaders to both contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue about public education and, in turn, learn more about education policy at the federal level.

Now in its second year, four highly-talented principals are continuing to work for the Department on a full- and part-time basis. The PAF program is one means of recognizing the critical impact that principals have on instruction and student achievement; school climate and improvement; and community and family engagement.