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In 2022, veteran educator Leshaun Jenkins collaborated with EducationNC for his year-long principal diary. The diary chronicled his journey as a first year principal with Edgecombe County Public Schools.
Now three years later, Jenkins’ debut book organizes his diary reflections into five themes referred to as “Principles of a Principal.”
Where it all began
Jenkins knew that he wanted to be an educator at a young age.
“I have a call to educate, and my joy comes from that,” he expressed.
Present day, Jenkins is the principal of Pitt County Schools Early College. Over the past 20 years, teacher, coach, and mentor have been among his many titles.
Born and raised in Pinetops, he attended SouthWest Edgecombe High School. He excelled in both soccer and tennis, earning several accolades across both sports, including All-Conference, Player of the Year, and MVP.
In 1996, Jenkins matriculated to East Carolina University, becoming the second person of color to be part of the Division I men’s tennis program. While there, he double majored in history and political science.
Immediately after receiving his degree, Jenkins returned to Edgecombe and entered the teaching profession at Tarboro High School (THS). Throughout his 16 years at the school, he taught history, civics, and economics and wrote and implemented the curriculum for global studies.
Veteran educator enters “rookie season”
2018 brought the opportunity for Jenkins to enter K-12 administration. He attended North Carolina State University in pursuit of his master’s degree via the Educational Leadership Academy (NELA).
During that period, he split his time between two schools, serving as the assistant principal at both Phillips Middle School and Princeville Elementary in Edgecombe. In the years following, he made a return to THS, operating as the assistant principal for three years.
According to Jenkins, his next step in leadership was a result of being obedient to the calling on his life. Though hesitant at first, he ultimately accepted the role as the interim principal at W.A. Pattillo Middle School for the final three months of the 2022-23 school year.
In the summer that followed, Jenkins began his first official principal position at Pattillo. His principal diary with EdNC began that year and documented his leadership journey of what he considers his “rookie season.”
With over 100 entries, the diary highlighted the day-to-day joys, challenges, and responsibilities Jenkins faced throughout the 2023-24 academic year.
Since then, he has used the entries to develop his first book, “Principles of a Principal: one educator’s reflections of servant leadership.“
In it, Jenkins arranges the contents into five principles that serve as chapters for the book:
- Personal and Self-Care: Matters of the Heart
- Relationships Matter: Generational Impact
- School Culture and Climate: A Change Is Coming
- Student Efficacy: The Heartbeat
- Professional Development: The Pulse
‘Principles of a Principal’ release
In the book’s summary, Jenkins states that “personal self-care, strong relationships, a positive school culture and climate, student efficacy, and professional development are the cornerstones of effective leadership.”
In addition to chapter introductions and entries that align with the respective principles, each chapter also includes reflection questions. Jenkins hopes that readers can use his experience as a mirror, identifying how these themes show up in their own leadership journey.
While the book focuses on the educator experience, Jenkins believes that “leaders across various industries stand to gain the chance to intentionally reflect on the power of laying a solid foundation for the relationships, climate, and culture associated with their organization.”
“Principles of a Principal” is now available for purchase in both print and e-book versions.
Editor’s note: Leshaun Jenkins serves on EducationNC’s strategic council.
