Salome Thomas-El

“Every child needs someone to be crazy about them.” These are the words of Salome Thomas-EL, award-winning teacher and principal, and 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 who are facing the most serious barriers to success: poverty, violence, neglect, and low expectations.

For over 20 years, Principal 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 several traditional public and charter schools, 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 lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife and two young daughters. He has been a teacher and principal in various educational settings since 1987 and is currently the Head of School at Thomas Edison Charter School in Wilmington. Thomas-EL received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School, where his students have gained world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. Thomas-EL was a regular contributor on "The Dr. Oz Show" and has appeared on "The Oprah Radio Network". He is the author of the best-selling books "I Choose to Stay", about his experiences at Vaux Middle School, and "The Immortality of Influence" (Foreword by Will Smith), which stresses the importance of leadership, mentoring, parenting and service to others. The Walt Disney Company optioned the movie rights to "I Choose to Stay". Thomas-EL frequently appears on C-SPAN, CNN, and NPR Radio. He studied at Cambridge University and Lehigh University, holds a doctorate in Education from Wilmington University, and 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. Educational Leadership and Reader’s Digest Magazine recognized Principal EL as an “Inspiring American Icon”.