Better Together with Derek Cantrell

Derek Cantrell, principal of Allegheny High School in Virginia, shares how he led the consolidation of two rival high schools after 40+ years of failed merger attempts. As the final principal of Covington High School, Derek navigated the emotional journey of closing one school while building excitement for a unified future. Key insights: The power of intentionality — Communication roadmaps, mingle sessions, scavenger hunts, and family tours helped staff and students from both schools build relationships before day one Blending traditions thoughtfully — The new school kept Allegheny's name but adopted Covington's mascot (Cougars), merged school colors, and created fresh branding so everyone felt ownership Put people first — Derek credits listening to concerns, valuing input on staffing and room selections, and involving stakeholders at every step as the keys to successful culture-building Small wins create momentum — From staff eating lunch together voluntarily to scoring a touchdown on the first kickoff of the first football game, celebrating wins built community pride Derek's new book "Better Together" provides a leadership playbook for school consolidation, culture transformation, and recognition systems like their Breakfast Club of Champions program. Links: LinkedIn: Derek Cantrell Book: Better Together: Building One School, One Culture, and One Community Better Together Podcast We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technology Save teachers’ time Reliably meet Tier 1 standards Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.