Bloomingdale Principal Dr. Marcos Rodriguez and Newsome Principal Katie Rocha are two out of 60 principals in the country to be selected as Distinguished Principals this year in the Cahn Fellowship program.
Cahn Fellowship provides advanced leadership development and curriculum to mission connections for high performing principals with the goal of improving public education. The selection process is rigorous. To be considered, a principal must have five years’ experience and a high rating. The application process is lengthy and includes a multitude of essays, recommendations and on-site visits where teachers, staff members, students and parents are interviewed.
The principals that are selected are fellows within the cohort. They attend six conferences and have an ‘ally’ from their school. During the program, the fellows and allies determine a ‘problem of practice,’ essentially what they want to improve at their school. Rodriguez’s ally is Tracy Diprima, Bloomingdale’s curriculum specialist. Rocha’s ally is April McGinley, assistant principal of student affairs.
The Cahn Fellowship program director, Robert Bhoolai, worked with in Hillsborough County Public Schools from 2006-19 as a substitute, teacher, assistant principal, principal and district trainer.
“The Cahn Fellowship serves as a unique opportunity for veteran principals to grow their skills and develop leadership capacity within their allies. As a former HCPS principal, I can attest to the power of the fellowship and its impact on local school communities. I’m excited to welcome my colleagues from HCPS into the fellowship family,” Bhoolai said.
Rodriguez has been at Bloomingdale for six years. He hopes to bring a student mentorship program to Bloomingdale and improve daily student attendance.
“It is easy to get comfortable, thinking what I am doing is working. I want to keep pushing myself. This program is the next step to doing that,” Rodriguez said.
Rocha has been Newsome’s principal since 2020. She believes learning never stops and is excited about what she will learn through the program.
“I’m very honored to be chosen for this program. It’s an exciting opportunity for growth. I am truly looking forward to connecting with principals across the nation and learning from their experiences,” Rocha said.
To learn more about the Cahn Fellowship program, visit the website at www.cahnfellowship.org.
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