State Principals of the Year Series - Damon Lewis - (Connecticut) - Creating Opportunities for ALL students

Damon C. Lewis, EdD , is the principal of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, CT. Previously, he was the assistant principal. Under his leadership, Ponus Ridge, a 6–8 middle school, reduced chronic absenteeism from 31% to 8% in one year. His school has increased the number of minority students in the gifted and talented program, and the number of female students in accelerated math. He has championed an equity-driven and “Every Day Counts” culture where PSAT scores for grade 8 students outpaced national, state, and district metrics. He is the facilitator for the Black Male Administrator cohort in the district and mentors younger principals. He has expanded course offerings to include coding, computer science, robotics, music technology, immersive media; more than 20 after-school clubs; a Hispanic parent group; an in-school food pantry for families; and a care closet. Dr. Lewis is a NASSP Finalist for the National Middle School Principal of the Year.