Monique Campbell

Dr. Monique Arleen Campbell is a Master Ambassador Principal, also serving as a Mentor Principal in the NYC Public School system, in which she has served as founding principal for a Junior High School for fourteen years.

Dr. Campbell founded The School of Integrated Learning – MS 354, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn in 2005. Inheriting the students of an under-achieving middle school which was being closed, she worked with a small self-selected team of teachers, to build and expand both the student body and the team of educators. Understanding that success for her and her team could only ensue through success for children who historically underperformed, she wove into the fabric of the school’s structure the mantra of “doing whatever it takes”. Never giving up on children or leaving any behind, despite challenges, undergirded with the passion to help children rise above the stigma of failure, she moved the school to a phenomenal success story, which has earned them a school in good standing for several years.

Monique’s passion for teaching might have been fueled by her teacher mother’s exemplary teaching record. It might have been fueled by the hunger for justice and equity for it; it might be driven by the keen instinct that poverty is supplanted through education; it might be buoyed by an innate love of learning and thirst for wisdom. Whatever propels it, this unquenchable fire to see the scales of justice balance through education for the very least and the mightiest great, has motivated undeniable pursuit of educational excellence for the students in her care.

Dr. Campbell’s leadership is with a delicate balance of compassion and firmness, example and expectation; understanding and discipline. She leads from within the group, doing whatever it takes to motivate and monitor. By her example she draws others in and draws out the potential of leadership from them.

To that end, her 14 year old school has birthed 3 principals and 6 assistant principals of middle schools; 8 teacher leaders through the DOE teacher leadership program; and 3 aspiring principals in the city’s leadership program. She herself is a Cahn Fellow who mentored her Cahn mentee into principalship. She is the building leader of a 3- school campus; and has been honored by the Pencil Program and the Student in Temporary Housing program and several other organizations.

By her creative leadership the school has received several large grants, including the multi-million grant for Extended Learning Time. Consequent to this outstanding leadership, the chancellor charged her with merging with another school and ensuring that students maintained a high level of performance.

While successfully leading a middle school which has grown from its first 60 students in 2005, to its present 378 students and maintaining the school in good standing status, Monique recently completed her studies at the Esteves Sage College with a doctorate in educational leadership.