Aug. 21, 2025
Global Education Meets Excellence
How does a school transform from "satisfactory" to "good" in just four years? Sheldon Thomas, Jamaica's Principal of the Year for 2025, joins us from the ASCD ISTE Conference in San Antonio to share his remarkable leadership journey at Ferncourt High School. Website: spotlight4success.com
How does a school transform from "satisfactory" to "good" in just four years? Sheldon Thomas, Jamaica's Principal of the Year for 2025, joins us from the ASCD ISTE Conference in San Antonio to share his remarkable leadership journey at Ferncourt High School.
Website: spotlight4success.com
00:00 - Introduction to Principal of the Year
00:45 - Achievements at Ferncourt High School
01:56 - Collaborative Leadership Approach
03:12 - American Book Company Segment
04:08 - ISTE Conference Experience
05:32 - Message on Professional Development
WEBVTT
00:00:06.471 --> 00:00:09.356
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Boat Company.
00:00:09.356 --> 00:00:11.199
I am Devin Pintosa, your host.
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:23.917
We are here in sunny San Antonio, Texas, at the ASCD ISTE Conference and we are so excited to have with us the Principal of the Year for Jamaica for 2025.
00:00:23.917 --> 00:00:27.429
This is Sheldon Thomas with Fencourt High School.
00:00:27.429 --> 00:00:29.178
Thank you for joining us today, Sheldon.
00:00:29.663 --> 00:00:36.151
Thank you for having me, and it's a good opportunity for me to share what's happening in Jamaica and at my school on this platform.
00:00:36.151 --> 00:00:38.094
Thank you for having me, oh, wonderful.
00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:44.533
Can you tell us about what is going on at Sheldon High School that led to you becoming Principal of the Year?
00:00:45.179 --> 00:00:45.962
Okay, sure.
00:00:45.962 --> 00:00:52.034
So in 2024, our school was inspected by the National Education Inspectorate.
00:00:52.034 --> 00:00:57.240
During that inspection, our school previously was rated as satisfactory.
00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:03.488
But when they visited Fern Court in February of 2024, we were rated as good.
00:01:03.488 --> 00:01:08.796
So that is a big improvement for Ferncourt High School, all the way from St Anne.
00:01:08.796 --> 00:01:22.609
Also, when they look at our accomplishment as a school because I took over as principal since February 2020, right, so they have the improvement of my leadership over the period.
00:01:22.609 --> 00:01:39.850
I would have seen great improvement as it relates to academic performance, stakeholder partnership with the community, with alumni, and also improvement in students' behavior during that period between 2020 to 2024.
00:01:40.231 --> 00:01:41.915
Wonderful, yes, wow.
00:01:41.915 --> 00:01:45.170
So what a big change in a short period of time.
00:01:45.170 --> 00:01:47.102
Sure, so what do you think?
00:01:47.102 --> 00:01:55.734
What kind of leadership skills did you use, or initiatives, to get that rating higher for your school?
00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:56.721
Okay.
00:01:56.721 --> 00:02:04.064
So when I took over in February, I started with the vision what is my vision of the institution?
00:02:04.064 --> 00:02:06.992
And getting buy-in from the different stakeholders.
00:02:06.992 --> 00:02:28.264
So at the start, in terms of at each meeting, I always say to my parents, the students, academic staff, my vision of the school, where I want to take Ferncourt in the future, and that is what we use, and we would have different discussion how we can take Ferncourt utilizing that vision.
00:02:28.264 --> 00:02:36.747
And our vision is engaging stakeholders in acquiring knowledge, developing skills and building character to function globally.
00:02:36.747 --> 00:02:41.204
So that's the mission, the vision of the school.
00:02:41.204 --> 00:02:49.104
So in different meetings, when we identify, identify problems, we see how best we can get their back in.
00:02:49.104 --> 00:02:57.768
So I use a collaborative leadership style in terms of listening to persons the good and not so good at times.
00:02:57.768 --> 00:03:07.133
Sometimes it's a bit challenging but I have to listen for the bad or the negative feedback and see how best we can put forward solutions to address it.
00:03:07.133 --> 00:03:10.110
So that's how my style is collaborative leadership.
00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:11.846
Oh, that's so wonderful.
00:03:12.620 --> 00:03:14.707
Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success.
00:03:14.707 --> 00:03:19.740
I am Devin Pintosi, chief Operating Officer of American Book Company.
00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:24.051
We are located here in our headquarters in Woodstock, georgia.
00:03:24.051 --> 00:03:28.009
All of our materials are printed in USA.
00:03:28.009 --> 00:03:40.135
We have course books, e-books and online testing in grades K-12 in mathematics, ela, science and social studies.
00:03:40.135 --> 00:03:48.594
These materials are all designed to help students achieve higher scores on their state-specific high-stakes assessments.
00:03:48.594 --> 00:03:51.729
We guarantee score improvement.
00:03:51.729 --> 00:04:00.775
You can get free samples of our materials either in print or in electronic formats at abck12.com.
00:04:00.775 --> 00:04:02.472
We look forward to hearing from you.
00:04:04.122 --> 00:04:08.842
And can you tell me what brings you here to San Antonio today, to the ISTE Right?
00:04:08.961 --> 00:04:21.271
So, because of being the principal of the year, I've been funded by the Lascochin Foundation to fully paid trip here from Jamaica, here to San Antonio, texas.
00:04:21.333 --> 00:04:22.113
Very nice.
00:04:22.379 --> 00:04:24.387
Yes, yes, it's part of the prize package.
00:04:24.387 --> 00:04:25.069
Wow.
00:04:25.069 --> 00:04:34.728
And I also have here persons here with the Teacher of the Year is also here as well, and our TV Teacher of the Year is here, so the three of us are here from Jamaica.
00:04:34.788 --> 00:04:37.346
Yes, yes, oh, that is so great, great.
00:04:37.346 --> 00:04:37.648
Thank you.
00:04:37.648 --> 00:04:40.528
I hope you get a lot out of the conference here.
00:04:40.528 --> 00:04:40.889
Sure, sure.
00:04:40.889 --> 00:04:44.567
What are you hoping to get out of the conference to bring back to Jamaica?
00:04:50.100 --> 00:05:13.235
Well, so I'm trying to learn some best practices that I've seen so far and will take it back to Jamaica to share with other educators as well, because being part of the this award means that I have to go into schools to assist where possible, so that's part of the package as well to share what I've learned here, to see how best we can get Jamaica as well to be part of the global landscape as it relates to education.
00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.007
That is so awesome, sheldon.
00:05:15.007 --> 00:05:18.589
That is a great mission, even for this trip.
00:05:18.589 --> 00:05:31.886
Sure, do you have something you'd like to share with the ASCD ISTE community, the educational leaders, the technology specialists, everybody involved that are here at this conference now, a message you'd like to share with them?
00:05:32.387 --> 00:05:42.505
All right, so I would want to say that, for me, professional development is important, very important, and part of this conference.
00:05:42.505 --> 00:05:53.350
It means that we are preparing educators for the future, that we are preparing educators for the future, or we can go into our schools and change the landscape so that our learners can be better equipped for the future.
00:05:53.350 --> 00:05:55.105
That's awesome.
00:05:55.105 --> 00:05:58.125
Thank you so much Thank you for having me, Sheldon Thomas.
00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:00.586
Principal of the Year for Jamaica.
00:06:00.586 --> 00:06:02.608
Thank you so much for joining us today.
00:06:02.608 --> 00:06:03.343
Thank you, thank you.
00:00:06.471 --> 00:00:09.356
00:00:09.356 --> 00:00:11.199
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:23.917
00:00:23.917 --> 00:00:27.429
00:00:27.429 --> 00:00:29.178
00:00:29.663 --> 00:00:36.151
00:00:36.151 --> 00:00:38.094
00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:44.533
00:00:45.179 --> 00:00:45.962
00:00:45.962 --> 00:00:52.034
00:00:52.034 --> 00:00:57.240
00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:03.488
00:01:03.488 --> 00:01:08.796
00:01:08.796 --> 00:01:22.609
00:01:22.609 --> 00:01:39.850
00:01:40.231 --> 00:01:41.915
00:01:41.915 --> 00:01:45.170
00:01:45.170 --> 00:01:47.102
00:01:47.102 --> 00:01:55.734
00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:56.721
00:01:56.721 --> 00:02:04.064
00:02:04.064 --> 00:02:06.992
00:02:06.992 --> 00:02:28.264
00:02:28.264 --> 00:02:36.747
00:02:36.747 --> 00:02:41.204
00:02:41.204 --> 00:02:49.104
00:02:49.104 --> 00:02:57.768
00:02:57.768 --> 00:03:07.133
00:03:07.133 --> 00:03:10.110
00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:11.846
00:03:12.620 --> 00:03:14.707
00:03:14.707 --> 00:03:19.740
00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:24.051
00:03:24.051 --> 00:03:28.009
00:03:28.009 --> 00:03:40.135
00:03:40.135 --> 00:03:48.594
00:03:48.594 --> 00:03:51.729
00:03:51.729 --> 00:04:00.775
00:04:00.775 --> 00:04:02.472
00:04:04.122 --> 00:04:08.842
00:04:08.961 --> 00:04:21.271
00:04:21.333 --> 00:04:22.113
00:04:22.379 --> 00:04:24.387
00:04:24.387 --> 00:04:25.069
00:04:25.069 --> 00:04:34.728
00:04:34.788 --> 00:04:37.346
00:04:37.346 --> 00:04:37.648
00:04:37.648 --> 00:04:40.528
00:04:40.528 --> 00:04:40.889
00:04:40.889 --> 00:04:44.567
00:04:50.100 --> 00:05:13.235
00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.007
00:05:15.007 --> 00:05:18.589
00:05:18.589 --> 00:05:31.886
00:05:32.387 --> 00:05:42.505
00:05:42.505 --> 00:05:53.350
00:05:53.350 --> 00:05:55.105
00:05:55.105 --> 00:05:58.125
00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:00.586
00:06:00.586 --> 00:06:02.608
00:06:02.608 --> 00:06:03.343
