Nelson Beaudoin

With over thirty five years experience in educational leadership, I try to bring practical and exciting ideas to the discussion of school reform. Given that I was a struggling student growing up, my view might be a bit out of the ordinary.

I have help lead two high schools through a Comprehensive School Reform grant. Our schools have received national recognition, one as a Service Learning Leader School and an other as a First Amendment Project School. I was fortunate enough to be selected Maine's 2000 Principal of the Year.

I have presented messages about inspirational leadership, the magic of student voice, and creating a culture of change throughout the country. My faculty's work on Professional Learning Communities, Student-Led Conferences and student engagement has been replicated in a number of schools.

My first book entitled Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone: Lessons for School Leaders (Eye on Education, 2005) is a collection of stories about successful school reform. My second book, Elevating Student Voice: How to Enhance Participation, Citizenship and Leadership (Eye on Education, 2005) focuses on improving student achievement by getting kids to care.

I work under the belief that leaders should listen more than talk, care more than judge, and understand more than guess. To quote Katharine Graham;

"To love what you do and feel that it matters- how could anything be more fun?"