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De McKenzie
February 2011
Success among principals in creating and sustaining schools that graduate all students ready for college and work requires an ongoing commitment to learning and skill-building. Program Director De McKenzie focuses on building relationships with principals and fine-tuning professional development linked to school performance.
"I get to be advocate, mentor, confidant, collaborator, facilitator, mediator and sounding board," he says. "It's a privilege to work with innovative leaders in education who are eager to do things differently."
As he works with principals, McKenzie stresses that he is there to offer support and guidance, not evaluation. "Establishing a good relationship and rapport with principals is critical. The principalship can be a lonely job," he says. "Our partner principals need someone they can call on to talk through problems and find resources to develop student-centered solutions."
McKenzie particularly enjoys helping principals and their faculties establish a school culture that remains focused on success for all students and develop strategies to deliver on this promise.
Before joining the North Carolina New Schools Project team, he served as the senior administrator of retention for Wake County Public School System's Human Resources department, providing support for beginning teachers through professional development, mentors and recognition. He serves on the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission, which serves as the governing body for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, a program charged to recruit and develop leaders in education for the state.
An alumnus of North Carolina State University, he earned both a bachelor's degree in mathematics education and a master's degree in school administration.
