Keynote Address

The Immortality of Influence: Believing Every Child Can Achieve Their Dreams
Salome Thomas-EL, National Education Expert and Former Teacher and Principal, Philadelphia School District, PA

“Every child needs someone to be crazy about them.” These are the words of Salome Thomas-EL, former teacher and principal and a nationally recognized educator. They shape his life-long commitment to answering the question, “How do we ensure that every child achieves their greatest potential?” This question lies at the heart of the national dialogue on education policy, the day in and day out work of school personnel, and the hopes of every parent. Central to this challenge is how we succeed with children facing the most serious barriers to success: poverty, violence, neglect, and low expectations.

For over 20 years, Thomas-El has taken on this challenge with the absolute belief that every child can and will learn as long as adults in their world care enough to not give up. Starting as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School and through his years as principal at Russell Byers Charter School, Thomas-El has transformed the attitudes and strategies of school staff, parents, and members of the community to help hundreds of troubled children not only graduate from high school but go on to earn higher degrees from major colleges and universities. He brings to the process a powerful combination of passion, caring, and leadership to craft a refreshing, common-sense roadmap to help kids achieve their dreams, no matter the odds.

Salome Thomas-EL is a national education expert, media consultant, and former teacher and principal with the Philadelphia School District from 1987-2009. He received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School, where his students have gone on to win world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. He is the author of the best-selling books, I Choose to Stay, about his Vaux Middle School experience, and The Immortality of Influence. The Walt Disney Company has purchased the movie rights to I Choose to Stay. Thomas-EL speaks to groups across the country and frequently appears on C-SPAN, CNN, and NPR Radio. He is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and currently a doctoral candidate. He has received the Marcus A. Foster Award as the outstanding School District Administrator in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s distinguished Martin Luther King Award. Recently Thomas-EL was invited by Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as a member of "Core Team Oz" on his television show, "The Dr. Oz Show", an hour-long, multi-topic talk show broadcast in every major city in the country. Learn more at www.ichoosetostay.com.

NASP thanks Pearson for their sponsorship of the Keynote Address.