The Essential Element of Trust – Building a Culture for Students to Thrive

Rachel Massey • Cahn Fellow 2018

Farrell B. Howell is an ECE-8th Grade school in Northeast Denver. Our student population requires a staff that is highly skilled in accelerating academic growth, supporting English Language Learners, and facilitating trauma-sensitive learning environments. To best meet the developmental needs of the staff and students, Howell is redefining our leadership structure. More specifically, we are shifting from a top-down leadership approach to a shared leadership model to establish an interdependent Instructional Leadership Team that is proactive in sharing the responsibility for ensuring effective instructional practices schoolwide to sustain academic growth.