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Baruti Kafele

Award-winning principal, internationally-renowned education speaker and best-selling author, Principal Kafele is on fire! He’s on a personal mission to close the ATTITUDE GAP, the world over.

A highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As an elementary school teacher in East Orange, NJ, he was selected as the East Orange School District and Essex County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, he was a New Jersey State Teacher of the Year finalist, and a recipient of the New Jersey Education Association Award of Excellence.

As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele led the turnaround of four different New Jersey urban schools, including “The Mighty” Newark Tech, which went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition, which included U.S. News and World Report Magazine recognizing it three times as one of America’s best high schools.

One of the most sought-after school leadership and classroom equity presenters in America, Principal Kafele is impacting America’s schools! He has delivered over three thousand 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 for providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the “Attitude Gap.”

A prolific writer, Principal Kafele has written extensively on professional development strategies for creating a positive school climate and culture, transforming the attitudes of at-risk students, motivating Black males to excel in the classroom, and school leadership practices for inspiring schoolwide excellence. In addition to writing several professional articles for popular education journals, he has authored fourteen books, including his 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 The Equity & Social Justice Education 50. His newest book, What is My Value INSTRUCTIONALLY to the Teachers I Supervise? was recently released in December, 2024. Principal Kafele is also the creator and host of the popular Virtual Assistant Principal Leadership Academy.

He earned his B.S. degree in Management Science/Marketing from Kean University and his M.A. degree in Educational Administration from New Jersey City University. He is the recipient of over 150 educational, professional and community awards which include the prestigious Milken National Educator Award, the National Alliance of Black School Educators Hall of Fame Award, induction into the East Orange, New Jersey Hall of Fame, recognition as one of the World’s Top 30 Education Professionals by Global Gurus Top 30 and the City of Dickinson, Texas proclaiming February 8, 1998 as Baruti Kafele Day.

Categories: Black History Month, Campus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Educator, Educator - AEIs Most Popular Educators, Educator - Leadership, Educator - Motivation and Inspiration, Educator - SEL Social Emotional Learning, Educator - Virtual Learning

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  • topics Topics
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Videos

Topics

  • School Leadership

    *“Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?”
    *Avoiding School Leadership Burnout
    *Climate & Culture are a Reflection of MY Leadership!
    *Does Instruction Thrive Under My Leadership: A Discussion on Effective Instructional Leadership
    *“Who Is That Leading MY School?” – An Examination of the Principal’s Leadership Identity, Presence & Impact
    *“What Defines MY Leadership?” – An examination of the Principal’s Leadership Mission, Purpose, Vision & Value
    * The Intentionality of School Leadership Effectiveness
    *Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring Schoolwide Excellence (THE PRINCIPAL 50)
    * Your Leadership is the Number One Determinant of Your School’s Success
    * Extraordinary Results Require an Extraordinary Attitude
    * Diversity, Race and Equity: Considering All of the Learners
    *Positioning Your Students for Greatness!
    *The BEST Principal is a “BAM Principal!”
    * The BEST School is a “BAM School!”
    *Your School’s Brand Determines Student Outcomes
    *School Leadership Strategies for Closing the ATTITUDE GAP
    *School Leadership Strategies for Creating a Climate and Culture of Excellence
    * School Leadership Strategies for Empowering Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life
    *School Leadership Strategies for Transforming the Attitudes of At-Risk Students
    *Effective School Leadership for Today’s Urban Schools
    *So You’re Ready to be a Principal? Let’s Talk
    *So You Aspire to Become a School Administrator? LET’S TALK!
    * Maximizing the Strengths of the Assistant Principal Beyond the Role of School Disciplinarian

  • Classroom Teaching

    *There’s Nothing Wrong With Me…I Just Don’t Learn the Way You Teach
    * Closing the ATTITUDE GAP: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Excellence
    * Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence (THE TEACHER 50)
    * Motivating, Educating and Empowering the Black Male Learner
    * YOU MATTER...You Make a Difference!
    * The BEST Teacher is a "BAM Teacher!"
    * The BEST Classroom is a "BAM Classroom!"
    * Every Student Deserves a ROCK STAR Teacher
    * "Teacher, Do You Really Think You Know Me?"
    * Every Student Deserves Teachers Who Are Absolutely "Fired Up" About Them!
    * You Don't Have Discipline Problems...It's BIGGER Than That
    * Refueling When Your Tank is Almost Empty
    * You are the Number One Determinant of Your Students' Classroom Success
    * Extraordinary Results Require an Extraordinary Attitude
    * The Intentionality of Classroom Excellence

  • Parental Engagement

    * Motivating, Educating and Empowering Your Sons
    * Empowering Parents Toward Inspiring Their Children
    * Principal Kafele's 50 "I's" For Effective Parenting
    * The Intentionality of Parenting Excellence

  • Male Empowerment

    * Wake Up!!!
    * To Be a Man
    * To Be a Husband
    * To Be a Father

  • Other Keynotes

    * School District Convocations
    * Conferences (Educators, Parents and Youth)
    * Conferences (Colleges and Universities)
    * New Teacher Orientations
    * Graduations (All Levels)
    * Martin Luther King Celebrations and Services
    * Black History Month Programs
    * Kwanzaa Celebrations
    * Rites of Passage Ceremonies
    * Student "Empowerment" Meetings
    * Church Messages
    * Juvenile Detention Facilities
    * Prisons
    * Halfway Houses

Books

The Equity & Social Justice Education 50: Critical Questions for Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Students
The Equity & Social Justice Education 50: Critical Questions for Improving Opportunities and Outcomes for Black Students

How do you ensure that no student is invisible in your classroom? How do you make the distinction between equity as the vehicle versus equity as the goal for each of your students? What measures do you take to ensure that you are growing as a culturally relevant practitioner? Can your students, particularly your Black students, articulate, beyond emotional reactions, the injustices that surround them?

You can purchase this book here

The Aspiring Principal 50: Critical Questions for New and Future School Leaders
The Aspiring Principal 50: Critical Questions for New and Future School Leaders

So, you want to be a principal? Are you a new principal who could benefit from the wisdom of a successful four-time principal? Could you use help preparing for a school administrator job interview? Then this is the book for you.

In The Aspiring Principal 50, school leadership expert Baruti Kafele presents reflective questions aimed at assisting both new and aspiring school leaders as they work to become effective school leaders and consider making a leap to a leadership position, respectively. This book will help aspiring principals determine whether "The Principal" is truly who they want to be and help new principals grow and thrive in the principalship. Additionally, the book contains an entire chapter devoted to preparing for the school administrator job interview.

You can purchase this book here

Is My School Better BECAUSE I Lead It?
Is My School Better BECAUSE I Lead It?

In this latest installment to his series of best-selling self-reflection guides, celebrated educator, author, and motivational speaker Baruti Kafele offers school leaders 35 thought-provoking questions to ponder from one fundamental overarching query: "Is my school a better school because I lead it?"

You can purchase this book here

The Teacher 50: Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence
The Teacher 50: Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence

In this thoughtful guide for novice and veteran educators alike, Baruti K. Kafele takes readers on a reflective journey designed to reignite their passion for teaching. Kafele's 50 questions and penetrating insights reveal how you can

* Inspire students of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds to strive for academic excellence;
* Develop strong relationships with students, their parents, and the greater community;
* Address the challenges and promises presented by millennial learners; and
* Boost your motivation and excitement about teaching despite entrenched obstacles and daily frustrations.

Replete with ideas for strengthening your practice and investing in student success, this book is an indispensable companion for teachers who want to give their absolute best in the classroom at all times and under all circumstances.

You can purchase this book here

Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Success
Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Success

In this inspiring and thought-provoking follow-up to his 2009 best-seller Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life, Baruti Kafele makes the case that the "attitude gap" that often affects underperforming students can only be closed if educators first help students develop the will to strive for excellence. According to Kafele, educators can achieve remarkable results by focusing on five key areas:
* The teacher's attitude toward students
* The teacher's relationship with students
* The teacher's compassion for students
* The learning environment
* The cultural relevance of instruction

Replete with practical strategies and illustrative anecdotes drawn from the author's 20-plus years as a teacher and principal in inner-city schools, Closing the Attitude Gap offers a wealth of lessons and valuable insights that educators at all levels can use to fire up their students' passion to learn.

You can purchase this book here

Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life
Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life

One of the most vexing problems confronting educators today is the chronic achievement gap between black male students and their peers. In this inspiring and thought-provoking book, veteran educator Baruti K. Kafele offers a blueprint for lifting black males up and ensuring their success in the classroom and beyond. Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life offers proven strategies for getting black male students in middle school and high school to value learning, improve their grades, and maintain high standards for themselves. The author shows how simple but powerful measures to instill self-worth in young black males can not only raise these students' achievement, but also profoundly alter their lives for the better. This book will help you to help students - Reverse the destructive effects of negative influences, whether among peers or in the popular culture; - Surmount adverse conditions at home or in their communities; - Participate in mentorship programs with successful black male adults; and - Take pride in their heritage by learning about great figures and achievements in black history. Whether your school is urban or rural, all-black or mixed, you'll find that this insightful book addresses the root causes of low achievement among young black males and offers a clear path to overcoming them.

You can purchase this book here

A Handbook for Teachers of African American Children
A Handbook for Teachers of African American Children

A strategy guide for teachers to raise achievement levels of African American children. A "practical" handbook that provides solutions toward closing an achievement gap that has reached crisis proportions. Strategies are offered to replace those practices which have proven to be ineffective; which will over time motivate, educate, and empower African American children.

You can purchase this book here

A Black Parent's Handbook to Educating Your Children (Outside of the Classroom)
A Black Parent's Handbook to Educating Your Children (Outside of the Classroom)

A Black Parent's Handbook to Educating Your Children is a guide describing ways in which parents can play a much more active and productive role towards "our" children's educational growth and development at home. Thoughout the Black community, there is a tremendous amount of debate and discussion about the problems of the public school system, and it's impact on the future of "our" children. This necessitates the need for parents to maintain maximum involvement.

You can purchase this book here

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