ASCD Faculty Bio

Shirley C. Kilgore

Shirley C. Kilgore has front-line experience in educational leadership. She served 35 years in public education, most recently as principal of Booker T. Washington High School, which was established in 1924 as the first public high school for African Americans in the state of Georgia. During her tenure, Kilgore had the opportunity to work in numerous leadership capacities supporting continuous school improvement. Her employment responsibilities included all aspects of school operation, including the development and implementation of strategic plans based on needs assessments, human resource supervision and management, and professional development facilitation for administrators and teachers. Her experiences in the field of education have enabled her to develop a vast knowledge base and varied skill set in leadership and school administration.

Currently, Kilgore is a professional learning education consultant specializing in leadership coaching and development. As a proven instructional leader, she has extensive experience working with school administrators and teachers to foster positive, supportive learning environments and to implement effective leadership and teaching strategies that are necessary for optimal student achievement. Likewise, Kilgore has developed training programs and created cross-functional teams to guide decisions in academic program planning and implementation. She is knowledgeable about effective schooling practices for meeting the needs of all learners.

Kilgore holds a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Arts degree from Atlanta University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College.