We’re excited to welcome Dr. Marcus G. Davenport to the Center for Educational Leadership team! Marcus will serve as a Project Director leading professional learning for educational leaders across the country.
Marcus brings to the role more than 23 years of experience in the field of education. This educator at heart first fell in love with teaching when he volunteered in the classroom as an undergraduate at Michigan State University. It was the energy, creativity, and, yes, even the brutal honesty of the students that made this political science major shift to education and never look back. He went on to earn two master’s degrees-Educational Leadership and Curriculum & Teaching-and a PhD in Educational Leadership. Over his career, Marcus has taught every grade between 2nd and 8th and has worked as a teacher, principal, and superintendent in districts across Georgia and Michigan.
Marcus said that the most important thing he learned from his students over the years was “to always be a student.” Because he has worked in a variety of different communities and education settings, Marcus has become skilled at learning all he can about the students and communities to ensure the most impactful outcomes. He explained: “I believe great educators are constantly learning.”
This idea of life-long learning is central to the culture at the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL). We strive to be a community of learners: supporting each other in growth and ongoing reflection driven by our mission to eliminate education inequities by creating cultures of rigorous teaching, learning, and leading.
As a new Project Director, Marcus is most excited about applying both his experience as an educator and the research-based learning from CEL to support partners in their unique contexts throughout the country. Marcus loves sharing ideas and learning from others and is looking forward to helping partners realize their visions for teaching and learning.
