Shellon Samuels-White gets #celebratED for her study on school leadership and the ways principals support the well-being of teachers and students in, “Post–Pandemic School Leadership: Jamaican Principals’ Approaches to Supporting Students’ and Teachers’ Mental Health,” previously presented in Germany and now published in the Caribbean Journal of Education at The University of the West Indies (Vol. 2, Issue 1, January 12, 2026)! We continue to be impressed by the clarity of he

Dr. Jason DeFalco  gets #celebratED for being named Superintendent of the Marlborough, Massachusetts Public Schools! He has served as Interim Superintendent there since last July, and the School Committee voted to extend his contract through July 1, 2030. Prior to this, he served as Superintendent for the Blackstone-Millville Regional School District, Deputy Superintendent for the New Bedford Public Schools, and as a Principal for the Worcester Public Schools, all in Massachu

Dr. Raashad Fitzpatrick gets #celebratED as the new Superintendent at Cherokee County School District in Gaffney, South Carolina! Before this, he served as Superintendent for the Lancaster County School District, and as an Adjunct Professor at Converse University in Spartanburg, South Carolina. We are grateful for everything he does for the profession, and we know we will hear great things from him in Cherokee! Cherokee County School District   Lancaster County School Distric

Rosemary Wagoner gets #celebratED as the new Outreach Educator at Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, Virginia! Prior to this new position, she served for 36 years in the Waynesboro, Virginia Public Schools as a Classroom Teacher and an Instructional Technology Specialist. Outside of these professional roles, she also volunteers as a Club Leader for the August County, Virginia 4-H. We honor her for all the ways she contributes to her community, and we wish her

Erick Alfonso gets #celebratED as a new Adjunct Professor, Educational Leadership at Montclair State University! He is the Superintendent for the Belleville, New Jersey Public Schools and a Professor of Leadership and a member of the graduate advisory committee for the Ramapo College of New Jersey. Previously, Erick served as the Superintendent for the Secaucus, New Jersey Board of Education. We congratulate him for this new appointment, and we are excited for next steps in h

Dr. Lateshia Woodley gets #celebratED for leading the expansion of the Sources of Strength program to serve rural and underserved schools across the state of Georgia, through her partnership with Kennesaw State University! In celebrating leveling up this effort, Lateshia shares, “I’m grateful for the trust, partnership, and shared commitment to building mentally healthy schools across Georgia. The work continues…and the impact is just getting started!” We applaud her for all

Bill Krakower gets #celebratED as a new Teacher at West Essex Regional School District in North Caldwell, New Jersey! He was previously a teacher with the Woodland Park, New Jersey School District and a founder of Evolving Educators. a professional development company aimed at providing educators with a working knowledge of effective technology integration. Bill has been a huge proponent of the #satchat movement, and he is the author of Using Technology to Engage Students Wit

Matt Sears gets #celebratED as the new Chief Connector at RootEd in Durham Public Schools, connecting Durham’s diverse community directly with the needs of its schools and classrooms! He also serves as a School Planning & Transportation Research Scholar for North Carolina State University’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education. Prior to this, Matt served as Chief of Partnerships for the Durham Public Schools Foundation, and as Director of Educational Programs a

Marcia Baldanza gets #celebratED as the new Palliative Care Educator at The George Washington University Hospital! Before this, she served as an Assistant Professor at Marymount University and as an Area Director for School Reform and Accountability-Instructional Superintendent for The School District of Palm Beach County. We are grateful for all the ways she helps to make her communities better places for everyone, and we wish her all the best in this exciting new role! The

Dr. Nalani Butler gets #celebratED for being awarded promotion and tenure at Kennesaw State University! She has been serving as an Associate Professor there since 2019, and she also serves as a Conflict Resolution Consultant for NB Global Consulting. Prior to this, she was a Liaison for WellStar College and an Assistant Professor at the University of Tampa. We honor her for all the ways she makes a difference in her community, and we cheer her on as she continues on her leade

Dr. Emily Miles gets #celebratED as a new Assistant Superintendent for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools! Prior to this, she served as Executive Director and Principal in the same district, and as an Adjunct Professor at the Queens University of Charlotte. In 2019, Emily was named the district’s Principal of the Year leading Sterling Elementary School. We celebrate her for her continued ascent into district leadership, and we anticipate great things from her in this new role

Shellon Samuels-White gets #celebratED for presenting “When Imagination Meets Innovation: Storytelling as a Pathway to STEAM–SEL Habits of Mind” at Church Teachers College’s Special Education Conference in Mandeville, Jamaica, where teachers engaged in rich dialogue around storytelling, creativity, and inclusive practices that support the whole child. Shellon is the Student Assessment Officer and a lecturer at The Mico University College in Kingston Jamaica and a Worthy Educa