Partnering with the Department of Principal Quality to Continue Growing as a School Leader

Principal W. Terrell Burgess is a proud product of CPS, having graduated from Goldblatt Elementary School and Lane Tech High School. He started his teaching career at Lane, and his path eventually led him to Kenwood and back to the West Side, where he grew up, to join George Westinghouse College Prep. After more than a decade of serving as a math teacher and assistant principal at Westinghouse, he became the school’s principal in 2021. 

In CPS, principal contracts last for four years, so Principal Burgess’ first contract renewal is approaching next year. One of the resources he is taking advantage of is a new pilot program led by the CPS Department of Principal Quality. This department’s LSC Principal Supports team has created a professional learning community (PLC) specifically focused on how to navigate the crucial conversations connected to contract renewal. 

Get to know more about Principal Burgess’ participation in this PLC, as well as his leadership journey overall, below. 

Why do you think your career path led you to become a school principal? 

I think that I’m a natural leader, and leadership has always been a passion of mine. I think I developed my leadership skills at a young age in my family’s church. Had I not attended Lane as a student, I would have gone to Westinghouse. The Burgesses have been connected to the Westinghouse community since 1970.  Two of my own children have been students, and I always joke that five out of seven of my mother’s grandchildren are Warriors. It has really been an amazing experience being the principal of a school that has educated so many Burgesses. 

How have you grown since your first year as an assistant principal? 

When I think back to my first year as an assistant principal and compare it to where I am now, I have learned to leverage my voice as a leader. I have always been committed to ensuring strong instructional experiences for students as a teacher and leader, but as I have developed in this work I have put priority on developing a clear focus on our instructional priorities at Westinghouse and anchoring all of our work around them. In addition to ensuring that our instructional priorities are at the center, I have learned the importance of unearthing joy for both students and staff.

If we are not finding joy in our experiences in the space we spend the vast majority of our time then we are not leaning into the human experience that is education. In addition to strong instructional focus and an emphasis on joy, I have learned to leverage distributive leadership. This is not the Burgess show at all, although a Burgess show is never boring. We have an opportunity for us to collectively come together to establish something special for young people. 

Why did you decide to join DPQ’s pilot on contract renewal? 

As a reflective practitioner, I love to take opportunities to learn and grow to ensure that I am prepared and equipped to go through this process in a way that only helps to develop and strengthen my capacity to lead. Taking advantage of all of the resources that are available is a key part of growing as an educator and a leader. While I know that I have a strong relationship with my LSC, my grandmother’s advice was always to remain humble; I do not take for granted the relationship that I have and want to ensure that I leverage the resources offered to me by the district to continue to develop and strengthen my leadership.

What are some of your goals for the rest of the school year? 

I want to see progress and growth related to our school-wide vision. We adopted the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad a few years ago because we wanted to ensure our students were able to see themselves in their learning. This framework has five tenets: identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy. It’s important that we all remember that young people are brilliant, and, as educators, we have to create conditions so they are able to show their brilliance. 

If you could go back to the start of your time as principal, would you do anything differently? 

I would make sure not to take previous relationships for granted. You may know people how professional relationships will evolve and who you will need as your career progresses. Nevertheless, I value community and professional friendships. I am connected to some amazing principals who challenge and encourage me to show up strong in this work. I’m able to talk with them about the significant complexities of this work and what is happening in our schools and in the District as a whole. We support each other and encourage each other. They bring me joy that makes this work so meaningful. 

What is your message to other principals in CPS? 

You’re brilliant. We see you. Take care of yourself because the work is hard, but know your impact is far-reaching. Stay the course and do not be weary. There is a harvest coming, and we shall experience that harvest in the days to come.