Congratulations on the start of the 2022-23 school year! It was an honor and a privilege to be nominated and selected as the DPS Principal of the Year last November. I was especially proud to be recognized in this manner during an extremely challenging time.

Like most of you, being an educator isn't simply my job, it's a huge part of my identity. I am grateful to serve alongside so many dedicated colleagues. The work we do is hard. It is exhausting. It can be thankless. And yet we show up every day and give more than 100% because we know our students and their families deserve it. 

As difficult as the past two years have been, I am confident that we can find some silver linings as we work to rebuild a better system for all students. I hope you will take time to evaluate what's working in your schools and what may need to change. Determine which traditions are important while exploring new ones to begin. Recognize that despite adversity, some good came from our experiences (zoom is my personal favorite... I love that we can give families the option of conferencing at school or from a remote location).  

I therefore choose to view this school year as an opportunity to make positive changes in my school, within DPS, and across our state. I urge you to do the same. Use your voice to advocate for public education. Ask questions. Get involved. Challenge the status quo. Be a disruptor. Use your expertise to be a champion for your students because strong public schools are the backbone of strong communities. 

As DPS celebrates National Principals Month, I look forward to honoring another colleague as the POY. And as always, I wish all staff members a year filled with joy, learning, and peace. Thank you for choosing Durham Public Schools and for investing in our community!  

Victoria Lunetta Creamer, Ed.D.

Principal

Creekside Elementary School