Students know an equity champion when they see one. In recent CEL equity leadership focus groups, our CEL team asked students to describe their “hero principal.” Students shared attributes of a hero principal like “a history of fighting for social justice” with the...
Equity
A Throughline of Caring
Jan 11, 2022
I spent much of 2021 engaging deeply with leaders across the country about the transformational power that school leaders hold for leading equitable school communities. What I learned is that, when positioned properly and truly empowered to lead, principals are the...
Humanizing School and District Leadership Through Student Experience
Nov 18, 2021
What would happen if school and district leaders used students’ experiences and perspectives as the basis for their leadership? In CEL’s partnerships with school systems, we ask leaders to focus on the experiences of students furthest from justice in their schools and...
What Centering Student Experience Looks like
Apr 8, 2021
What does centering students look like in action? What characteristics should a leader look for as evidence of equity and learning-centered practice? In this excerpt from a recent webinar, Jose Rivera, assistant superintendent of Grandview School District, Wash.,...
Getting Better to Lead for Equity, a Webinar
Feb 11, 2021
We don't yet know what far-reaching impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on students. What we do know is that classrooms need to be as equitable as possible — and support rigorous learning — now. But what does that look like, especially with ongoing and sometimes...
Listening to Center Student Experience
Jan 28, 2021
After embarking on creating a “framework” that centers the experience of students, the CEL team learned that the adults at school really need to listen hard. What does listening hard look like in action? Watch this video to learn more.
How the Four Dimensions of School Leadership Creates Focus in a Pandemic
Dec 10, 2020
Lindsey Samec is an elementary school principal at Mounds View Public Schools in Minnesota. Like so many other school leaders across the country, she's had a lot to think about and manage this past year for her students to be able to learn and grow. Michele Mason,...
When students feel happy and proud — the Student Experience Story Guide
Dec 3, 2020
“My favorite day of school was when it was my birthday because everybody said hello to me, and I wish that happened every day.”— a Seattle-area student, when asked to reflect on their best school experiences For years, CEL has had frameworks around practice,...
Watch now: How we lead for equity
Oct 22, 2020
"We don’t believe that equity lives in a dimension on its own. As an effective leader, you don’t just lead for equity when you craft a vision and mission — it affects everything you do." - Michele Mason You believe in equity-driven leadership. But how do you turn...
The Pandemic Revealed Inequities — and New Ways to Address Them
Aug 18, 2020
In a “normal” school year on a “normal” school day, Stacy Thomas, the executive director of teaching and learning for Blaine School District, bounces between each of the district’s schools, which are housed on one campus. Blaine is a district in rural Washington near...
Gia Truong on her commitment to equitable education systems
Dec 6, 2018
In this latest installment of The Throughline, Max Silverman speaks with Gia Truong about ensuring that all students, regardless of background, experience a rigorous education, free from bias. Gia Truong is the chief executive officer at Envision Education, a...
Recent Posts
The Power of Celebrating Small Wins
Oct 21, 2025
Creating school cultures that elevate students’ belonging and agency is inspiring but challenging work. Shifting a school’s culture doesn’t happen overnight; it happens step by step. Each step up the staircase represents progress toward the ideal state, and recognizing those steps matters. While the ideal state often feels far away or even unattainable, celebrating small wins keeps momentum going. These celebrations remind everyone—leaders, teachers, and students—that the climb is worth it, and that each step is a small victory on the way to the top.
From Observation to Action: What Leaders Learn by Seeing School Through Students’ Eyes
Sep 8, 2025
When I was a superintendent, one of the most meaningful things my cabinet and I did was spend a day shadowing students. Following them from class to class gave me a perspective that I could not get from reports or test scores. It showed me what school really felt like for them. Sometimes what I saw was hard to take in, and other times it was inspiring, but it always helped me understand how our schools were working, or not, for every student. Now, as CEL’s Executive Director, I am proud to lead an organization that believes strongly in the power of students’ voices. At CEL, we help leaders slow down, listen to students, and see school through their eyes.
From the Central Office to the Classroom: Student Gains in the Central Valley
Jul 24, 2025
What happens when leaders from the central office to the classroom create the space and trust for deep learning together? At the UW Center for Educational Leadership (CEL), our Principal Supervisor Professional Learning and Coaching (PSPLC) helps principal supervisors...
Q&A with Dr. Susan Enfield, UW CEL’s New Executive Director
Jun 30, 2025
Q: What initially drew you to education? Dr. Enfield: I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. From as early as age 7, I was “teaching” my stuffed animals and dolls. By the time I became a high school English teacher, I knew I was doing what I was put on...
The Essential Role of Coaches in Advancing Instructional Leadership
Jun 5, 2025
Instructional leadership is not a solo endeavor—it is a collective effort that thrives on collaboration between school leaders and instructional coaches. While principals and district leaders set the vision for high-quality teaching and learning, instructional coaches...