Andy Jacks

Andy Jacks is a nationally recognized school leader, keynote speaker, and author of Discipline Win whose passion for ensuring every student feels valued in school has earned him state and national awards including Virginia Principal of the Year and Nationally Distinguished Principal. His favorite compliment from visitors to his school has always been the same: “It just feels different here.”

Building Schools Where It Just Feels Different

Dr. Jacks served as an elementary school principal where he skyrocketed student achievement and led a cultural transformation that gained local and national recognition, including a school tour by the United States Secretary of Education. He has since become principal of a K-8 combined elementary and middle school. As a senior fellow for the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ Centers for Advancing Leadership, he works to engage and support school leaders across the country through centers focused on diversity, innovation, the middle level, and women in leadership.

Every Child, Every Day

Jacks has been featured in the Washington Post, Principal Magazine, and Education Week, and serves on the board of the Autism Society of Northern Virginia. His keynotes deliver powerful insights on building school cultures where every child feels valued, proactive discipline strategies that work for students and staff, maximizing time and impact through intentional school leadership, and the practices that transform ordinary schools into places that just feel different.

Play to Win!

Schools can win or lose depending on our level of engagement and our understanding of the “game” of education. The clock is ticking so we need to make every minute count and use the best plays we have to reach every child. It’s essential to provide an inclusive culture, work for long-term goals, and continually rethink our current individual and team practices if we want to have a real chance at victory. Maximize your time and impact through feelings, fidelity, and follow through. Embrace your inner passion and find ways to make your classroom and school special. Play to win, each child, each day!

Discipline Win

School discipline can bring out emotional and rash responses in both staff and families, so schools must be very prepared for predictable behaviors and then strategic in their responses to keep everyone focused and working together. Before we start pushing more programs and prizes, let’s proactively teach social skills and self-regulation. Incorporate ways to regularly check your students and yourselves. Create accountability systems to ensure that relationships are developed with every child, every day. Find something special in every student so they know that you want them and value them in your school.