Baruti Kafele

Baruti Kafele is a highly acclaimed education speaker, bestselling author, and retired award-winning principal who transformed four urban schools during a distinguished 20-plus year career in education. He is one of the most sought-after voices in America on school leadership, student motivation, and closing the achievement gap.

A Principal Who Transformed Urban Schools

During his tenure as a principal, Kafele led the transformation of Newark Tech High School in New Jersey from a struggling institution into one of the most recognized and celebrated schools in the nation. The school was named a Star School and received national attention for its dramatic improvement in student achievement, culture, and graduation rates. He also served as principal of three other schools, each of which experienced significant turnarounds under his leadership. He is a four-time recipient of the New Jersey Distinguished Educators Award.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Educational Leaders

Kafele is the author of multiple bestselling books on school leadership, including The Principal 50, Is My School a Better School Because I Lead It?, and Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life. His keynotes and professional development programs challenge school leaders and educators to examine their own leadership identity, build powerful school cultures, and ensure that every student, regardless of background, has access to the education they deserve.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Effective School Leadership
• Equity, Social Justice Education, Race & Effective School Leadership
• Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It? Collapse
• Is My School, Team, Department, Division or District Better BECAUSE I Lead It?
• Is My District a Better District BECAUSE I am a Member of My Local School Board?
• Does Instruction Thrive Under My Leadership? A Discussion on Effective Instructional Leadership Expand
• Climate & Culture are a Reflection of MY Leadership!
• Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring School-wide Excellence (THE PRINCIPAL 50)
• Principal Kafele’s 10 Nonnegotiables for Effective School Leadership
• “Who Is That Leading MY School?” An Examination of the Principal’s Leadership Identity, Presence and Impact (half day only)
• Is My Leadership Preparing My Assistant Principals for the Principalship? (for superintendents, assistant superintendents and principals)
• Does My Assistant Principalship Benefit My School Academically? (for assistant principals and aspiring assistant principals)
• So You Want to Be a Principal? LET’S TALK (for aspiring principals, assistant principals and new principals)

CLASSROOM TEACHING

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Classroom: A Conversation on Meeting the Academic, Social & Emotional Needs of EACH of the Learners
• It’s Not Enough to “DO EQUITY”…You Must “BE EQUITY”: A Conversation on “Equity Mindset” Teaching & Learning
• The 3 Equity Nonnegotiables: Student Individuality, Student Cultural Identity & Student “Voice”
• Classroom Equity & Black Student Achievement Expand
• The “Social Justice Education Mindset” is Unavoidable in Today’s “Equity Mindset” Classroom
• Closing the ATTITUDE Gap: A Classroom Equity Framework
• “There’s Nothing Wrong With Me…I Just Don’t Learn the Way You Teach”
• Climate & Culture Cannot Be Transformed With Disciplinary Referrals
• Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence (THE TEACHER 50)
• Motivating, Educating and Empowering the Black Male Learner