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Dr. Sharon H. Porter (Dr. Sharon) resides in the Washington, DC area. She is the Owner of SHP Enterprise, the umbrella entity of  Perfect Time SHP LLC, G.R.I.N.D. Entrepreneur Network,  Write the Book Now!, and SHP Media and Broadcasting. She is the host of the I Am Dr. Sharon Show and CoFounder and Owner of Vision & Purpose (V&P) Magazine. Dr. Sharon is Executive Director of the Next in Line to Lead Aspiring Principal Academy.

Dr. Sharon is the author of The Power of Networking: How to Achieve Success With Business Networking, Next In Line to Lead: The Voice of the Assistant Principal , Class of 2017 What’s Next?” and Women Who Lead: Extraordinary Women With Extraordinary Results., The HBCU Experience Anthology, and North Carolina Girls Living In a Maryland World

Dr. Sharon has served as an educator for over 25 years, serving in the roles of classroom teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, Instructional Specialist, Test Development Specialist, assistant principal, Leadership Development Coach, and elementary and middle school principal.

She is a graduate of Howard University, Walden University, Johns Hopkins University, Nationa-lLouis University and  Winston-Salem State University. Dr. Sharon holds a National Association of Elementary School Principal Mentor Certification and is a Certified Gallup-Strengths Coach.  

She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, International Association of Women (IAW), and an Official Member of the Forbes Coaches Council, Professional Women of Winston-Salem.

Connect with Dr. Sharon at sharonhporter.com

Dr. Amy Miller is an educator with a strong passion for positive psychology and leadership.  Amy has spent the last 19 years in public education, 14 of which have been in administration.  Miller has held roles including special education teacher, assistant principal, special education director, and acting superintendent.  Amy is currently an elementary principal; a role she has held for the last 9 years.

Beginning her administrative career at the early age of 25, Miller has a distinct desire to mentor new leaders and share her experiences with others.  She does this through hosting principal interns, speaking engagements, and teaching at the university level.  Amy enjoys studying the behavior of leaders which is evident in her 2016 research study, Are Resilient Principals More Committed to Their Work?: A Quantitative Study of Resilience and Work Commitment Among Principals in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Miller has an entrepreneurial spirit which she expresses through creative outlets including her skincare business and upcycling just about anything she can find.  Miller refers to herself as a “thrifty-upcycler trapped in a professional’s body”.  She loves adventure, trying new things, and meeting new people.  Amy is known for her music videos she creates for fun announcements for students and parents throughout the school year.

Dr. Miller resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and two young daughters. 

Natasha McDonald has been employed as a Texas Public Educator for a little over 15 years under the leadership of several phenomenal individuals. She has had the opportunity to lead as a Classroom Teacher, a Literacy Strategist, a High School Testing Coordinator, an Assistant Principal, and an Academic Dean of Instruction. She currently serves as a Campus Principal.   A former Principal spent time mentoring her and ultimately inspired her to become an administrator. She is thankful that she has had the opportunity to serve in multiple roles and obtain a wealth of knowledge as each of the roles have prepared her for this moment in her leadership.

She has a passion for helping others see the best in themselves, and is very intentional about relational capacity. She  absolutely loves children and understands that we must invest in them as they hold the key to our future. She juggles the roles of wife, mother, mentor, and educator while simultaneously leading an AMAZING middle school with a little less than 1000 students. She finds pleasure in learning new ways to impact student achievement, and challenges herself to address her own personal constraints daily. She is  unapologetic about leading fearlessly and work to positively impact the lives of the people she serves.

She has completely embraced the growth mindset and practice being a lead learner on her campus. She is comfortable modeling the art of failing forward. When she does, she dusts herself off, adjusts her crown, and seek ways to improve. A very wise principal once told her “You don’t have to be bad to work at being better.”She is so very thankful that she “gets” to lead in this capacity and is very humbled by the charge. The ability to obtain knowledge is a remarkable gift, and she puts her heart and soul into learning new things and sharing them with others.

Mrs. Amena Moiz was born in Wyandotte, Michigan to Indian immigrants and is the oldest of three siblings.  After graduating from the University of Michigan-Flint, she began the first few years of her educational career at a local Islamic school.  Over the next nineteen years she proceeded to work as a middle school science teacher, assistant principal and principal in inner-city urban charter schools in Detroit, Flint, Holland, Grand Rapids and Muskegon.  

Mrs. Moiz was the founding principal of a school that was recognized for Employee Engagement and Parent Satisfaction.  She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Michigan-Flint for the Master of Arts teacher Certification program. She currently works as the Middle School Principal for Michigan Virtual Charter Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is in her fourth year as an adjunct faculty member of the Johns Hopkins School of Education Master’s of Science in Education program.  She also serves on the board of the Islamic School of Grand Rapids and recently completed the Women in Education Leadership Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  

Mrs. Moiz completed her B.S. in Education at the University of Michigan-Flint along with her M.A. in Early Childhood Education.  She most recently completed her M.A. in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University. 

Mrs. Moiz has been married for 22 years and has one son, Noor, who recently turned 19 and is an entrepreneur growing a business he established as a junior in high school. 

Dr. Shirley P. Auguste’s career began in 1991 as a teacher’s assistant in Henrico County, VA while attending Virginia Commonwealth University for her undergraduate studies. In her 2nd year, she was placed as the Writing to Read Coordinator at the same school. It is during her years in Henrico County that she found her love of teaching and working with students in Title 1 schools. Since her humble beginnings as a teacher’s assistant, she has been in education for over 25 years and taught a combined 2nd and 3rd grade, all grade levels from PreK to 3rd grade, middle school Literature Circle, 8th grade Science, taught prep classes for GED/SAT/ACT, served as a team lead, before and after school tutoring coordinator, and served as an Assistant Principal. Dr. Auguste has served on numerous education boards such as School Advisory and the Association of Supervisory and Administration School Personnel. She has taught in a private school and in the public school systems of Virginia, Maryland, and Florida. 

After being in different leadership positions, she realized she could have a greater impact by being in administration. As a result, she pursued her administration degree and earned her Master’s of Education in 2010 from Regent University. Her thesis was on “Closing the Achievement Gap between Black and White Males.” Despite the challenges and struggles of being a Black Hispanic of Haitian descent, she pushed forward and refused to give up on any of her dreams. It is her belief that she can teach others how to do better by being a positive example. 

Dr. Auguste went on to acquire her doctorate degree from Capella University and wrote her 1st curriculum and defended “Developing 21st Century Leaders in K to 8th.”  She believes in helping teachers see beyond the student, so they can help their students believe they can accomplish more than what is in front of them. She wants to help students learn to love themselves and education so they could become life-long learners overcome the negative stereotypes while learning how to make a positive difference. 

Dr. Auguste loves to dance, travel, spending time with family and friends, and being adventurous. She credits her success as an educator and administrator to her mentors who have guided, consulted, and kept her encouraged. She is grateful for her children, family and close friends and all of their support and encouragement. She firmly believes that each person has played a role in her becoming the leader she is today and know that every life she touches it is because of the knowledge and love that has been imparted in her. 

Tiawana Giles comes with a wealth of experience in leadership and education. She has served in many capacities in education from basketball coach  to building principal serving over 5,000 students  and 600 teachers in her over two decades in education. Principal Giles holds a Bachelor of Science from Chaminade University in Hawaii, and Masters in Reading from Bowie State University of Maryland, and a Postgraduate Certificate from the University of Richmond. She will earn  a Doctorate Degree from Walden University  September 2020.

Tiawana is a mother of two beautiful daughters, Jasmine Cunningham who serves her country in the U.S. Army, and Jada Cunningham who has followed her dreams of owning a Cheer Gym. She is the grandmother of Bobbi “Princess” Fulp and proud wife of Joe Giles. She resides in Virginia.

Principal Giles loves her school community where she has served as the proud principal since July 2018. 

Shelley Anderson is a middle school  principal in Northwest Washington, DC who has spent the past 15 years fighting to ensure that all students have equitable access to a rigorous and engaging curriculum. Her campus was recently named the only “Leveler” Ward One DC Middle School by the DC Policy Center, a distinct honor that means it is one of a handful of DC public schools  to close the achievement gap and get positive results with at-risk youth.  

Before relocating from Dallas, Texas to Virginia, she was an assistant principal in inner-city, mostly minority high school in Dallas. During her time there the campus earned 7 out of 7 distinctions from the state of Texas for outstanding academic achievements, and she was named Dallas ISD AVID Assistant Principal of the Year. 

In addition, she has experience as an educational consultant, central office academic facilitator, campus literacy coach, and as a secondary Science, ELA, and AVID teacher. 

Ms. Danielle N. Wallace has been an educational leader for over two decades. Key leadership roles include School-wide Lead Teacher, Teacher Evaluator, Instructional Coach, Curriculum Specialist, Zone Director and Principal. Ms. Wallace earned a B.S. in Montessori Education from Xavier University (1996) and two Masters in Education from the University of Cincinnati; Curriculum and Instruction (2002) and Educational Leadership (2014). She is marching toward her 25th year as an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. In her “free” time, she enjoys sharing her love of jewelry with her clients, maximizing quality time with her amazing teenage daughter and bonding with her sister circle.

"If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."  Unknown

Lydia Ryan was born in Chicago, IL and raised in the south suburbs.  She is the proud life partner of Mike Menzer, daughter to two loving parents, and best friend to an older brother and younger sister.

As a first generation female college student, Lydia attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education.  Upon graduation, Lydia became a high school English teacher in Chicago Public Schools.  She proudly and joyfully served students on the far northwest and west sides of the city.  Lydia then moved to Boston to earn her master’s in School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  Upon graduation, she returned to Chicago Public Schools where she served as an assistant principal for two years.  She is now in her third year as the proud principal of Chicago Academy High School on the far northwest side: a small, diverse, caring community that Lydia is grateful to call home.  In 2018, Lydia was asked to serve on the Principal Advisory Committee for Chicago Public School’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Janice Jackson.  In 2019, Lydia was named a lead principal for the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) network in Chicago Public Schools.

Lydia is proud of the work she has done at Chicago Academy to improve student and staff feelings of safety and organization.  Her focus on school culture, relationships, and trust resulted in moving the school’s organization rating to the highest level in just one year.  She has led her community to record high on-track, graduation, and attendance rates.  Under Lydia’s leadership, Chicago Academy High School has two active parent groups, the first in CAHS’s history.  She is also proud of creating and supporting highly effective teacher teams and developing the capacity of staff members to lead those teams.  

Lydia is a yogi and a runner and likes to cook, travel, and read.  Lydia would not be the leader she is today without the mentorship of strong female leaders including Susan Lofton, Dr. Annise Lewis, Dr. Lynda Williams, and Pamela Cook.

Mrs. Charlene Saenz-Quarles was born in Huntington Park, California as a second-generation Mexican American. She was the first in her family to attend college. After graduating from California State University of San Bernardino, she began the first few years of her educational career serving as a Bilingual Clerk at a local middle school. Over the next ten years, she proceeded to work as a substitute teacher, high school Spanish teacher, dance team advisor, administrative designee, assistant principal and principal in suburban schools in San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Yucaipa, Ontario, and Montclair.  

Mrs. Saenz-Quarles strongly believes in community partnerships to promote student success and provide access to opportunities. While serving as a Spanish teacher she developed a community initiative to provide young women facing financial hardship with the opportunity to attend prom by partnering with local business owners and community leaders within the Moreno Valley area. She served as a founding member of a district-level committee for a program developed to support unaccompanied and foster youth throughout her district titled Winter Wonderland. She currently serves as the proud Principal of Montclair High School. This high school serves over 2,800 students and has been recognized as an AVID National Demonstration School, Title I School with Distinction, Gold Ribbon School, Golden Bell Award recipient, and a US News and World Report Silver Medalist. She also recently completed the Women in Education Leadership Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  

Mrs. Saenz-Quarles completed her B.A. in Spanish - Hispanic Literature, Language and Civilization at the California State University of San Bernardino along with her M.A. in Education from Azusa Pacific University. 

Mrs. Saenz-Quarles recently married her longtime companion of 14 years and has two children, an ll-year-old daughter, Bella, and a 6-year-old son, Amon. Mrs. Saenz-Quarles is reminded by her daughter, Bella, that she is capable of achieving her dreams, as Bella aspires to be the first Mexican and African American woman president of the United States of America. Her son, Amon, also inspires her to remain confident and believe in herself, as he aspires to be the most handsome boy in the first grade.

Mrs. Saenz-Quarles would love to hear from you! Connect with the author:

Cjsaenz09@apu.edu

Kirsten Clark is a Jr.-Sr. High School Principal who works with 550 students in grades 7-12 and a faculty and staff of 50 in a small, rural school in central Indiana.  After spending eleven years teaching in a high school social studies classroom and four years as a high school assistant principal, Kirsten made the transition to principal at her high school alma mater and is now serving in her third year.  

Kirsten is passionate about the importance of education for all students as well as the empowerment of young women.  The Fierce Female Series was born from this passion and provides young ladies in her school the opportunity to hear the stories of successful women from the community and their perseverance in overcoming obstacles along the way. 

Kirsten holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies Education from Purdue University, a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and her Principal Licensure from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kirsten is married to Troy Clark, a high school art teacher, has one son, Jack, two bonus daughters, Riley and Haley, and three grandchildren, Emberlynn, Kashtyn, and Kyzer.

D. JaMese M. Black’s career in education began at Rockingham County High School, Wentworth, NC in 1998, where she was a social studies teacher. She served as a social studies teacher for seven years prior to becoming Curriculum Facilitator at Weaver Academy and Early/Middle College at Bennett in Greensboro, North Carolina, a position she held for four years. She was Assistant Principal of Instruction at Bartlett Yancey High School in Yanceyville, North Carolina from 2008-2009 and at Northeast Guilford High School in McLeansville, North Carolina from 2011-2014. She became principal of Magna Vista High School in Ridgeway, Virginia in 2014.  She transformed the school to become accredited within one year. She led Magna Vista until 2017 upon her decision to step down to care for her mother. She returned to administration as Principal of East Montgomery High School in Biscoe, NC in 2018. She is the 2019-20 Principal of the Year for Montgomery County Schools. This given after her first year in the district and turning around her school within the year to make growth. 

Black holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English from High Point University. 

JaMese is the wife of Marquis Ron “Rico” Black and the mother their twin boys: Ocir JaRon and Zyon JaRiq Black. She is the daughter of Rev. James and Sallie Morris-Redd; both have crossed into eternity. She is the youngest of three- Derrick JaSal Morris and Rev. DaRon JeSie Morris hold the title of her brothers.

Dr. Sheka Houston is a passionate educator that has the desire to inspire all she comes into contact with to become the very best versions of themselves.  She has spent the last 17 years in public education, 12 of which has been in administration.  Sheka is currently the principal of a rural middle school in the southeast where she is entering into her fifth year of service to her community in this role.  Her experience is unique in that Sheka works in the same district she graduated from and has been promoted from teacher to assistant principal and finally to principal all within the same school.  Sheka also serves on the Board of Girls on the Run, Tri-County, South Carolina, serves as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, serves on the Juneteenth Celebration Committee and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Recently, Dr. Houston  conducted research to complete a doctoral program in educational leadership from Gardner-Webb University.  Her topic; Impoverished Schools that are Performing Successfully in South Carolina.  How do They Differ from Impoverished Schools that are Underperforming? was inspired by her desire to find solutions for new principals, especially those serving in high poverty areas, to experience success in the area of academic achievement for students.

Sheka has been married for 22 years and she and her husband have two beautiful daughters, Elizabeth and Isabella who are truly her inspirations, as she leads through the lens of a mom.

Dr. Alicia Maphies is the principal of a large 5A high school in North Texas.  She holds a Bachelors's Degree from Michigan State University in English and Secondary Education, a Masters from California State University San Bernardino in Education and Curriculum, a Masters Degree from the University of North Texas in Leadership and Administration, and a Doctorate from Texas A&M-Commerce in Educational Leadership. 

Prior to administration, Dr. Maphies taught English and French, served as an Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Coordinator, and as a district Foreign Language Coordinator. 

Dr. Maphies believes that her campus’s mission to "develop critical thinkers who contribute positively to society" is at the core of all that we do, and this goal is only possible through communication and meaningful relationships. Dr. Maphies is married to Bobby, an officer in the United States Army, and together they travel the world to experience new sights, sounds, food, people and beliefs. 

Tammy Taylor is a dedicated educator who has committed her life and career to the service of others.  She is an elementary principal in South Carolina.

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Tammy is currently pursuing her PhD from the University of South Carolina.  Her passion for validating the experience of the principalship and the impact on students’ achievement, drives her research focus.  This research will focus on the leadership experiences of four African American, female principals and their experiences:  challenges and successes.   

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 Tammy is married to Pastor Keith Taylor.  She has worked faithfully to support him in ministry for over two decades.  She’s passionate about working with youth, and has worked with young ladies to create a sense of value and self worth through teaching them to understand, accept, and fulfill their purposes in life.  She has become known for her work with a youth organization - at their church, Girls All About Purpose (GAAP). 

Ms. Trelane Clark is currently the principal at Hooks Elementary School in Chelsea, Massachusetts, a small city adjacent to Boston. She has been serving students and teachers in the field of education for almost 24 years, including nine as an assistant principal. Trelane embarked on her teaching career in the Boston Public Schools and has since served students in public, private, urban, and suburban schools in Virginia, Washington, DC, Boston, and its surrounding areas. She believes that building relationships and making connections with students and adults is central to the work that educators must do and credits the modeling of this to her own teachers and work experiences. Principal Clark’s professional mission is to inspire educators to Teach from the Heart, model Resiliency, lead with Integrity, Value relationships, and ensure Equity for students, families, and educators. 

Dr. Jackie Tobias has been an educator for over 30 years and she is in her eleventh year as a principal. She spent her early years as a counselor starting in elementary school, moving to middle and then later, to high school. She was not the person that one would expect to be an educator. In fact, she hated high school. 

Her family migrated to America when she was 17 and she entered high school in America for the second half of her senior year. She barely survived high school, but she managed to get into college because of her high school counselor, who saw something in her: the ability to succeed, and assisted her in applying to the University of Florida. This was the beginning of her “calling” as an educator.  She considers this her ministry. She takes pride in enabling children to succeed as someone did for her. 

She went on to graduate with Bachelor’s, Master’s and Specialist degrees in Education and School Counseling. She followed later with a Master’s degree in School Administration from University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Her formal education culminated with a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Gardner Webb University. She is driven to become an expert in helping children succeed and to put structures in place so teachers are equipped to assist students like herself, who no one thought would succeed. 

Dr. Tobias is the 2020 Durham Public Schools Principal of the Year.

Alana D. Murray, PhD is an educator-activist who has taught world history on both the middle- and high school levels and currently serves as a middle school principal at Shady Grove Middle School in Montgomery County, Maryland public schools. She has created pilot lessons on African American history, conducted youth leadership training workshops for several organizations and provided professional development to educators at conferences across the country. More recently, her research interests center on supporting principals in developing the skills to be culturally reflective school-based leaders.  In 2005, she served as the co-editor of the publication, Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching with Deborah Menkart and Dr. Jenice View.  She is the author of The Development of the Alternative Black Curriculum, 1890-1940: Countering the Master Narrative. This book focuses on the impact of black women in shaping the social studies field.

Murray received a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland, a M.A.T. from Brown University, and her PhD from the University of Maryland. Her work on this project stems from both professional and personal experience. She is the granddaughter of Donald Gaines Murray, whose landmark lawsuit against the University of Maryland Law School successfully desegregated the university. Her grandparents dedicated their careers to an equal education for all children and her parents instilled the critical roles of research and community organizing.

Ms. Shawaan Robinson is the Acting Principal of Briggs Chaney Middle School in Silver Spring, MD.   As the proud acting principal of Briggs Chaney-- home of the Bears, her vision simply states-  Believe in Equity, Access, and Rigor for all Students!  She is passionate about building relationships and creating the learning conditions for students to thrive. 

Ms. Robinson has been an educator for 26 years and has worn many hats during her educational career.   She has served as an elementary school teacher, elementary and middle school counselor, pupil personnel worker, assistant principal and principal intern working in diverse school communities.   She is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  Her research is centered on the pathway to the secondary principalship for Black female administrators.  She is passionate about establishing networks of support and expanding opportunities for Black women in educational leadership. She is an adjunct professor at McDaniel College in Western Maryland where she teaches Leadership for Equity and Excellence.

Ms. Robinson is a native of Washington, D.C. where she currently resides with her mom, two sons and an adorable pup.

Mrs. Jewel Sanders is an equity warrior who has had 25 years of experience in education. She’s a native New Yorker and has worked in three different school systems as a teacher, parent/community liaison, department chair, staff development teacher, administrator, and currently, a middle school principal at Rosa Parks Middle School in Montgomery County Public Schools. Mrs. Sanders believes in inspiring and nurturing student leaders. She sponsors a Student Diversity Leadership Team (SDLT). This group of students works in and outside the school to focus on providing equity and a welcoming environment for all students. She’s created a platform for SDLT to partner with other student leadership groups and / or outside organizations to lead a diversity conference for middle school students, facilitate school-wide lessons centering around films on diversity and /or character building, survey peers to capture student voice data, and so much more! She wrote the article, Student Leadership: A Principal’s Point of View in 2019, a response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. 

Mrs. Sanders earned a BA in English and minored in Africana Studies at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany), and a Masters Degree in English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She currently is a doctoral candidate at University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.

Ms. Kristina Pollard began her career in education in 1998 as a biology teacher in the Dallas Public School District. She has 22 years of experience, having served as a teacher, technology facilitator, assistant principal and principal in the elementary, middle and high school arenas. She also served as the Director of the H.E.L.P. for the College of Education at Marshall University. 

She received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Jackson State University, a master’s degree in elementary education from William Carey University and a specialist’s degree in administrative leadership from Walden University. 

She has received numerous grants and endowments used to fund educational initiatives in the schools she has served, and has received many awards and honors for her dedication to education. Most recently, she was named Forrest County School District Administrator of the Year in 2019 and currently serves on the Mississippi Department of Education Principal 

Advisory Board. Pollard is the co-host of the Class Dismissed Podcast which discusses educational news and inspirational education ideas