Cynthia Conley gets #celebratED as the new Principal at Bryant High School in Fairfax, Virginia! She is also a Past President of the Fairfax County Public Schools Middle School Principals Association (MSPA). Prior to this new role, Cynthia served as an Assistant Principal and Social Studies Department Chair and Civics Teacher in Fairfax County, and as a Social Studies Teacher at Manhattan High School in Manhattan, Kansas. We are grateful for everything she brings to the work,

John Pappalardo gets #celebratED as the new Chief Business Officer at Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in Placentia, California! He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University as a Lecturer in its Ed.D. Leadership Program. Before these current roles, John was the Chief Financial Officer for the Cambrian School District in San Jose, California, and as the Superintendent of the San Gabriel, California Unified School District. We applaud John f

Ellie Edsor gets #celebratED as a new Class Teacher at St. Christopher's Prep in Hove, East Sussex, England! Previously, she served as a Key Stage 1 Teacher for Pennthorpe – part of the Hurst Family of Schools in Rudgwick, West Sussex, England, and as an Open Day Guide at the University of Reading. We congratulate her on this new role, and we wish her all the best in 2026! St, Christopher's Prep Pennthorpe University of Reading LinkedIn

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