TWO LOCAL PRINCIPALS PARTICIPATE IN DISTINGUISHED PRINCIPALS FELLOWSHIP IN NEW YORK CITY

Two south side principals recently traveled to New York City to participate in the two-week Summer Leadership Institute as part of the Cahn Fellows Program for distinguished principals. Photo Caption: Provided by Chicago Public Schools
Two south side principals recently traveled to New York City to participate in the two-week Summer Leadership Institute as part of the Cahn Fellows Program for distinguished principals. Photo Caption: Provided by Chicago Public Schools

Two Local Principals Participate in Distinguished Principals Fellowship In New York City

For two weeks, Principal Kelly Thigpen, from Burnside Elementary Scholastic Academy, and Principal Terrycita Perry, from Arthur

Dixon Elementary School, were in New York City participating in the Cahn Fellows Program Summer Leadership Institute. During those two weeks, they met with principals from other major cities across the country and developed new leadership skills to bring back to Chicago.

The Cahn Fellows Program, presented by the Teachers College of Columbia University, was founded in 2002 and seeks to improve large urban public school systems across the nation by providing distinguished principals with advanced professional development

that will increase their leadership skills, according to information provided by the Cahn Fellows Program.

The two-week summit in New York City brought together cohorts of distinguished principals from Chicago, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Tampa, San Antonio, and Miami.

“It was good to collaborate and it was also good to hear that we all had the same struggles. We all want what’s best for the children but we all were thinking about how to make time for ourselves as well because a lot of times, as principals, you don’t,” said Perry.

“It felt good to be in a space with people that feel what you are going through. We were able to talk about what we are going through whether it was research-based or just a personal reflection.”

During the first week of the Summer Leadership Institute, the fellows took a trip to Gettysburg where they were asked to analyze the leadership styles of the Battle of Gettysburg and reflect on their leadership styles to identify what was working and what could work better. They also spent the first week learning from prestigious faculty at Columbia University.

The second week, the Cahn Fellows examined the specific challenges that they face as urban school administrators and brainstormed solutions to those challenges.

“It was a great experience to be with the Cahn Fellows and a great opportunity to grow as a leader. I was kind of at a point where I’m hitting a hurdle in my life at the school and we have a lot of work that we need to do academically for our students and it’s critical that I support my staff. I feel like the opportunity this summer gave me some

great strategies and some ideas that I could come back and implement,” said Thigpen.

After the Summer Leadership Institute was over, both principals returned to Chicago and are now preparing for the upcoming

school year. Of the many important lessons the principals learned during the Summer Leadership Institute, one stood out which

was the importance of self-care for principals and school faculty.

“What I gained from the Cahn Fellows professional development about self-care was that I have to make sure that my staff

also engages in self-care,” said Thigpen.

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