Salome Thomas-EL, a teacher and principal since 1987, is a K–8 principal in Wilmington, Delaware. He received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia, where his students won world recognition as eight-time national chess champions. Principal EL is the author of bestselling books I Choose to Stay and The Immortality of Influence and co-author of Passionate Leadership, Building a Winning Team, and Retention for a Change.

He speaks to groups around the country and has appeared on C-SPAN, CNN, and NPR. Principal EL holds a doctorate in education leadership from Wilmington University and has received the Marcus A. Foster Award for Philadelphia's Outstanding School District Administrator and the University of Pennsylvania's Martin Luther King Award.