By Katherine Outcalt

Oct. 19, 2022: Ask Rakiya Adams, Bronxville Elementary School’s new principal, what the best part of her day is, and she will tell you, without hesitation, it’s the kids. “Hands down, they are the best part of my day. They are funny, interesting, they keep me on my toes. They are my favorite people,” says Adams.

Born in the Bronx but raised in Stamford, CT, Adams arrived in Bronxville in 2019 as the Assistant Principal to then Principal, Tricia Murray. With over a decade of education work under her belt, complimented by a master’s degree in early childhood education and certification in educational leadership, it’s no wonder Adams feels confident in her new role as Principal.

“I was ready, I felt ready,” says Adams when asked about her transition from teacher and instructional coach to leadership administration. Adams comes from a long line of educators. Her father, whose career was in finance, sidelined as a college professor. She recalls spending hours as a child helping her father prepare for his classes. “I can remember stapling his tests and pretending to be the teacher. From a very young age I knew I could be a tremendous role model and I wanted to make that impact on kids,” recalls Adams.

Adams’ brother is a middle school principal in Maryland and her sister is an elementary school teacher in New York City. “Family gatherings are very productive,” laughs Adams as she describes bouncing ideas off of each other over meals.

Adams feels fortunate to have already spent three years as the school’s Assistant Principal before taking on her new role as Principal. “The learning curve is there but not as steep,” describes Adams. “I know the programs and philosophies that we have in place and why we do them.” Adam’s plan is to use this institutional knowledge as a springboard as she makes informed decisions for the school.

Adams has wasted no time getting to work. In her first two months as Principal, she has put into place a newly created Instructional Leadership Team that brings cohesion around special education, math, ELA and student wellness. She also has the entire school working on a post- Covid re-evaluation which includes a deep dive into the effectiveness of practices that were adopted during the pandemic.

Adams espouses to a philosophy she describes as continuous improvement. “Effective schools continuously improve. They evaluate, assess and improve their practices constantly,” explains Adams. Developing mindsets around continuous improvement is what guides Adams’ vision for Bronxville Elementary School.

In her spare time, Adams enjoys travelling with her husband, who works as a radiologist, and her two teenage daughters. She is bilingual and speaks Hausa as her second language which is a language spoken in Ghana.

When asked what advice she would offer her students if they asked, Adams response is, “Be yourself. Don’t try to change for other people. Remember who you are and be that person. 'Love yourself and give yourself some grace. You are going to make mistakes. Mistakes don’t define you.”