On Wednesday, our focus is on the leaders that guide our schools and division. Principals, division leaders and School Board members shape our vision and build community to give our students their best opportunities to succeed and thrive.
I am committed to leading in public schools because they provide equitable opportunity and celebrate the diversity that makes learning powerful. When students learn alongside peers with different backgrounds, cultures, and learning styles, they gain the knowledge and empathy essential for a thriving democracy.
– Bridget Loft, Principal, Swanson Middle School
Public education is of the people, for the people, and by the people. As a student, it shaped me, guided me, and gave me the tools to become who I am. Because of that, I believe it is my duty and responsibility to provide for others what was provided to me.
– Colin Brown, Principal, Cardinal Elementary School
Public schools are where possibility meets purpose. Every day I dedicate myself to this work because our schools don’t just educate students, they open doors, strengthen communities, and ensure that every young person, no matter their starting point, has access to opportunity, belonging, and a future they can shape for themselves. Supporting public education is how we invest in hope, equity, and the promise of what comes next.
– Jeannette Allen, Principal, Arlington Community High School
As both a product of K–12 public education and an educator for 30 years, I have seen firsthand how public schools offer students variety and exposure reflective of the world around them. They include, celebrate, and honor everyone, no matter their backgrounds or differences. It’s a safe place where committed teachers welcome and ensure that every child has access to meaningful opportunities.
-Eileen Gardner, Principal, Nottingham Elementary School
Leadership in Arlington Public Schools is about shared ownership—each of us; from the school board, to the living room, to the classroom; plays a vital role in shaping our students’ futures. In the face of unprecedented challenges, I am proud to lead with courage along with my colleagues, educators, and staff in defense of public education. We are ONE Arlington, and remain committed to achieving real, representative, measurable, and meaningful academic access and growth for every child in APS.
– Zuraya Tapia-Hadley, School Board
A connected community ensures that every individual belongs and gains the skills they need to become whatever they choose. With their peers in public schools, students learn about and learn to value each other’s unique and varied life experiences. They explore and learn to value different ways of thinking. Public schools bring diverse and divergent human beings together and provide common ground in which great ideas can grow.
-Ellen Smith, Principal, Dorothy Hamm Middle School
Today’s focus is how teaching and learning come together in APS to encourage every student to reach their full...
This week, APS joins schools and communities across the country in celebrating Public Schools Week 2026.
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