The arts in LaShella Stanfield’s school have proven to be a catalyst for students’ academic success. That’s one reason Mrs. Stanfield, Principal of Cross Country Elementary/Middle School, is participating in Young Audiences’ inaugural Principal Fellowship Program. Through the program, she not only hopes to realign the school’s work with arts integration but gain the knowledge and resources to provide professional development and action plans around implementation to her staff.

“I am the parent of a professional artist and thoroughly understand the importance of the arts both in students’ academic and social development.”

Mrs. Stanfield holds a B.A. in Psychology from Frostburg State University and earned her M.Ed. in Elementary Education from UMBC. She has been trained in a range of modalities including Educational Leadership, Restorative Practices, Universal Design for Learning, and Trauma-Informed Care, and advocates for equitable instructional practices across all grade levels and disciplines. And because she notices her students are able to express themselves in unique and effective ways when they engage in the arts, she wants to ensure all Cross Country teachers receive the proper training and support in order to integrate the arts in their lessons daily. Mrs. Stanfield noted, “I am the parent of a professional artist and thoroughly understand the importance of the arts both in students’ academic and social development.”

“One of the greatest needs at my school is to support teachers with developing social-emotional learning strategies,” said Mrs. Stanfield. Principals in the fellowship look closely at how integrating the arts into the curriculum can foster the development of the whole child while fueling academic achievement. They’ll also work with principals who have already successfully used arts integration as a lever for school change and learn ways to address administrative barriers to expanding the arts in school, such as staffing, professional development, creating time to plan, and evaluation, ensuring fellows have the support they need to realize goals around arts integration in their own schools.

Mrs. LaShella Stanfield, Principal of Cross Country Elementary/Middle School, is one of ten Baltimore City Public Schools principals selected to participate in the Principal Fellowship Program. The year-long fellowship provides principals with the guidance and framework to develop an arts-based action plan in their schools and we are thrilled to have her in the inaugural cohort!