S2 E2: Are Your Students Better Off Because of You? With Principal Baruti Kafele
September 27, 2022 | 53 mins
Welcome back to season two of Teaching STEM #4Real! Today, we are excited to welcome Principal Baruti Kafele to the podcast!
Principal Baruti Kafele, a highly regarded urban educator in New Jersey for more than 20 years, has distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele led the turnaround of four New Jersey urban schools, including "The Mighty" Newark Tech - which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition - and was recognized three times by U.S. News and World Report as one of America's best high schools. Did you know that the City of Dickinson, Texas proclaimed February 8, 1998 as Baruti Kafele Day? We had to get him on the show!
He has delivered 2,000+ conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars and student assemblies over his 35 years of public speaking. An expert in the area of “attitude transformation,” Principal Kafele is the leading authority on providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the "Attitude Gap.” Principal Kafele has also authored twelve books, including his seven ASCD best sellers - Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life, Closing the Attitude Gap, Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?, The Teacher 50, The Principal 50, The Assistant Principal 50 and his newest release, The Equity & Social Justice Education 50.
He is the creator and host of the popular Virtual Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, streamed live every Saturday morning on his Virtual AP Leadership Academy YouTube channel @ 10:55 EST and is the recipient of over 150 educational, professional and community awards!
In this episode, Principal Kafele will share his journey with us including what informed his culturally responsive teaching and the very important question he asks himself as an educator. We’ll also discuss “the attitude gap”, the opportunities given or not given to young Black men, and the way in which Principal Kafele educates on the aspects of history often kept out of curriculum. Last but not least, we’ll talk about how to bring this awareness to the math and science classrooms, the nuances of the assistant principal position, building relationships, and so much more! Keep listening to hear more from Principal Kafeele!
Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to 4 real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction look like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real. Please visit our website for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM for real.
Social Media
Twitter: @PrincipalKafele
Facebook: Principal Kafele
Facebook: Virtual AP Leadership Academy
Books
The Equity & Social Justice Education 50 (New)
The ASSISTANT Principal 50
The ASPIRING Principal 50
Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?
The TEACHER 50
The PRINCIPAL 50
Closing the Attitude Gap
Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life
YouTube Channels
Virtual AP Leadership Academy
School Talk with Principal Kafele
Message to Your Son / Youth
Principal Baruti Kafele, a highly regarded urban educator in New Jersey for more than 20 years, has distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele led the turnaround of four New Jersey urban schools, including "The Mighty" Newark Tech - which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition - and was recognized three times by U.S. News and World Report as one of America's best high schools. Did you know that the City of Dickinson, Texas proclaimed February 8, 1998 as Baruti Kafele Day? We had to get him on the show!
He has delivered 2,000+ conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars and student assemblies over his 35 years of public speaking. An expert in the area of “attitude transformation,” Principal Kafele is the leading authority on providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the "Attitude Gap.” Principal Kafele has also authored twelve books, including his seven ASCD best sellers - Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life, Closing the Attitude Gap, Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?, The Teacher 50, The Principal 50, The Assistant Principal 50 and his newest release, The Equity & Social Justice Education 50.
He is the creator and host of the popular Virtual Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, streamed live every Saturday morning on his Virtual AP Leadership Academy YouTube channel @ 10:55 EST and is the recipient of over 150 educational, professional and community awards!
In this episode, Principal Kafele will share his journey with us including what informed his culturally responsive teaching and the very important question he asks himself as an educator. We’ll also discuss “the attitude gap”, the opportunities given or not given to young Black men, and the way in which Principal Kafele educates on the aspects of history often kept out of curriculum. Last but not least, we’ll talk about how to bring this awareness to the math and science classrooms, the nuances of the assistant principal position, building relationships, and so much more! Keep listening to hear more from Principal Kafeele!
Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to 4 real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction look like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real. Please visit our website for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM for real.
Social Media
Twitter: @PrincipalKafele
Facebook: Principal Kafele
Facebook: Virtual AP Leadership Academy
Books
The Equity & Social Justice Education 50 (New)
The ASSISTANT Principal 50
The ASPIRING Principal 50
Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?
The TEACHER 50
The PRINCIPAL 50
Closing the Attitude Gap
Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life
YouTube Channels
Virtual AP Leadership Academy
School Talk with Principal Kafele
Message to Your Son / Youth