Theo Quinones

Principal of a Title I Elementary School
Bethlehem School District

Theo Quinones is principal of a Title I school, Governor Wolf Elementary, in Bethlehem, PA. Mr. Quinones believes in distributed leadership. Trained as an artist and building on years of experience as a coach and art teacher, Mr. Quinones knows the power of creative thinking and collaboration. His doctoral dissertation is on the power of art-integration and coaching to transform learning and school culture. He is interested in working with the teachers to create a learning and collaborative environment in the school. The African proverb of "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together" is an appropriate expression of his belief as a leader. Mr. Quinones understands that the strength of an organization lies in the ability of all individuals to contribute and feel true ownership of the shared successes. His doctoral study, The Effects of Instructional Conversations about Peer Observations (ICAPO), explores the interactions of cross grade level teachers as they guide each other through their own professional development. Mr. Quinones believes that a successful school is a place where teachers have a vested interest in and make decisions on the ongoing process of professionally developing the staff.