Overview:
Terita Walker, the 2025 Colorado High School Principal of the Year and Principal of East High School, discusses the state of education.
In a year when conversations about education feel especially charged, Terita Walker is being recognized not just for managing complexity but for leading through it. Named the 2025 Colorado High School Principal of the Year by the Colorado Association of School Executives, Walker has spent the past four years at the helm of Denver East High School, guiding the largest high school in Denver with a steady focus on equity, academic excellence and student voice.
The honor reflects measurable gains, rising SAT math scores, strong AP participation and a graduation rate above 96%, but Walker is quick to frame the recognition as collective. From monthly coffee chats and affinity group meetings to hallway conversations and athletic events, her leadership philosophy centers on presence and partnership. A former school counselor, coach and athletic director, Walker brings a layered understanding of both systems and relationships.
During Black History Month, a time to reflect on leadership, legacy and representation, Walker’s recognition carries additional resonance. In this week’s 5 Questions, she discusses what it takes to earn an honor like Principal of the Year, how she keeps a school community focused amid uncertainty and what today’s high schoolers are navigating in a 24/7 digital world. She also discusses what her students teach her about courage and advocacy, as well as what continues to keep her awake at night when the final bell rings.
You were selected as Colorado high school principal of the year. What does it take to receive an honor like this and how has your background led you to this moment?
Here is a link to the technical requirements for this award. More information can also be found here.
Being named Colorado High School Principal of the Year is not an individual accomplishment—it is the result of years of shared leadership, resilience and community trust. Honors like this reflect sustained impact. It is made complete through strong student outcomes, a healthy school culture and the ability to lead through complexity while keeping relationships at the center.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of serving in multiple roles—School Counselor, Athletic Coach, Counseling Department Chair, Assistant Principal, Athletic Director and now Principal. Each position strengthened a different leadership muscle.
Counseling grounded me in student advocacy and systems navigation. Coaching and athletic leadership taught me culture-building, accountability and how to unite teams around a common goal. Serving as an Assistant Principal and Athletic Director strengthened my operational leadership and ability to manage large, diverse communities. Those cumulative experiences prepared me to lead Denver East High School with both strategic clarity and relational depth.
At the core of this recognition is my belief that schools thrive through collaboration. I have intentionally built close, authentic relationships with students, families and staff because culture is not built from the office. It is built in classrooms, hallways, athletic fields and community spaces. I believe that when stakeholders feel heard, valued and empowered, they invest more deeply in the success of the school.
The strength of East High School lies in the collective efforts of our community, and my role has been to align that energy toward a shared vision of excellence and equity. This honor reflects what is possible when leadership is rooted in service, partnership and an unwavering commitment to students.
There are so many issues facing education. Budget cuts, the move away from DEI, immigration concerns, school safety and student mental health post-COVID. How does everyone stay focused on learning in an environment when there is so much uncertainty?
In a time marked by budget cuts, shifting political landscapes around DEI, immigration concerns, school safety and the lingering mental health impact of COVID, staying focused on learning has required clarity of purpose and more disciplined leadership. At East, we anchor ourselves in what we can control. We make stronger commitments, strengthen instruction, create consistent systems and lean into relationships that build trust. I work intentionally to keep our staff centered on our core mission, student growth and achievement, while creating structured spaces to process uncertainty rather than allowing it to distract from learning.
By maintaining open communication with families and staff, investing in restorative practices and prioritizing mental health supports alongside academic rigor, we reduce fear and increase stability. When adults remain grounded, transparent and student-centered, students feel it. In uncertain times, focus is not accidental. It is cultivated through clear expectations, collaborative leadership and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that every classroom remains a place where learning is protected and prioritized.
How is high school different now than when you went to high school?
High school today is a different universe from when I was a student in the 90s—and I say that as someone who thought a pager was cutting-edge technology. Back then, if you wanted to reach someone, you beeped them and hoped they found a landline. There was no FaceTime, no group chats and definitely no social media documenting every outfit choice or hallway moment. If we had a research paper due, Google wasn’t an option. I had to physically open an encyclopedia, flip through actual pages and pray the volume I needed wasn’t missing. Siri? She was nowhere to be found.
I recognize that my students are navigating academics while managing a 24/7 digital world that follows them everywhere. The pressure is faster, louder and more public. So we’re teaching focus, discernment and balance in a world that never logs off. And while I may joke about pagers and encyclopedias, I must say, I have deep respect for the resilience today’s students show in a high school experience that is far more complex than anything I could have imagined.
What do you learn from your students and how do their voices inform your work?
My students teach me courage, urgency and clarity. At East, student voices don’t sit on the sidelines. They shape policy, culture and priorities. Over the past several years, I have watched and supported students, including leaders from Students Demand Action, organize, testify and advocate for legislative changes around gun violence with a level of poise and conviction that challenges adults to move beyond comfort and into action. I have also seen and supported students as they lead meaningful conversations around all-gender bathrooms, pushing us to think more expansively about belonging and dignity for every member of our community.
Through Pizza with the Principal sessions, affinity group meetings and everyday hallway conversations, students consistently remind me that safety, identity and equity are not abstract concepts; they are lived experiences. Their advocacy informs how we approach school safety, restorative practices, inclusive spaces and communication. I learn from them that leadership requires listening deeply, responding thoughtfully and sometimes being willing to evolve. Their voices sharpen my focus and ensure that my work remains grounded in the realities they navigate every day.
As a principal of the largest high school in Denver, what keeps you up at night?
As principal of the largest high school in Denver, what keeps me up at night can be different depending on the day. I have an 11th grader at home, my own East Angel, so this work is deeply personal. Our students are responsible, thoughtful and engaged; my concern is not primarily about their choices during the school day, but about who and what they might encounter when the bell rings.
In a world that feels increasingly unpredictable, I carry the weight of wanting every student, including my daughter, to be safe not just in our hallways but in the broader community. That responsibility doesn’t turn off at 3:30 p.m.
The other thing that keeps me awake is my email inbox. In a school our size, with so many moving parts, it’s not unusual to receive 1,000 emails in a week. I genuinely worry about what might be buried in the midst of them—a concern, a plea for support, a voice trying to be heard. When someone takes the time to write, I want them to know it matters.
At the same time, I don’t want to spend my days behind a screen. The most meaningful part of my job is face-to-face engagement—being present with students, families and staff. On days when I am tethered to my desk just to keep up with email, I don’t feel like I’ve led well. So yes, there are nights when I can’t quite close the laptop, wrestling with balance and reminding myself to control what I can control. I’ll keep striving for that balance—but in the meantime, I’ll also keep a cup of coffee or a can of Pepsi nearby to power through after those occasional sleepless nights.