Derrick Lawson has made a profound difference in the lives of students and staff in his small, desert community while also working to advance the profession at the local, state and national level.

A master of site leadership, Lawson has served as a principal in the Desert Sands USD since 1993. As the principal of Indio High School since 2016, Lawson has created an environment that prioritizes safety, efficiency and student success. He ensured secure facilities and implemented campus safety measures, creating supportive spaces for learning. His establishment of a Student Senate has given students a platform for meaningful contributions, fostering inclusivity and belonging. At the district level, he led strategic planning to ensure underserved students received tailored academic and social support.

Lawson is also a champion of professional growth and innovation. His implementation of professional learning communities at two school sites fostered collaboration among teachers, enhancing outcomes for English learners and students with disabilities. As a director of the ACSA Principals Academy, he has helped shape countless new leaders into equitable, effective principals.

Lawson’s expertise in the principalship has propelled him to state and national leadership roles, including as a board member for the National Association of Secondary School Principals. His advocacy through NASSP and ACSA have influenced policies prioritizing equity and the social-emotional health of students.

Grounded in purpose and limitless in his positivity, Lawson’s work exemplifies his dedication to growth, innovation and ensuring all students reach their full potential.

“In every role he has held, Derrick has exemplified the qualities of an outstanding secondary principal: visionary leadership, a relentless focus on equity, and a deep commitment to student success,” said Nicole Aguirre, a principal in Desert Sands USD and ACSA President-Elect for Region 19. “His contributions have transformed schools, empowered educators, and enriched the lives of countless students.”

What’s your favorite quote on leadership? My favorite leadership quote is from one of my favorite authors on leadership, John Maxwell: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” That became my personal definition of leadership.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? My first superintendent told me to journal every day and finish the entry not with all the challenges or “interesting” things that may have come up, but with one thing that I accomplished or contributed to that left me feeling like I made a difference. She said “Let that be the LAST thing on your mind when you go home to family, so that when they ask how was your day, it will be about something wonderful.”

What’s your best strategy for work-life balance? In the movie “City Slickers,” the character Curly tells Billy Crystal, “It is about that one thing” ... and I agree. Find that one thing that brings you joy, fulfillment, and centers you and calendar it. Every weekend for all my years, my wife and I have a standing weekend breakfast date at the local “greasy spoon” — our ritual. We keep that time sacred and then spend time on card making, scrapbooking and watching an old movie together. It helps keep things from crowding in, and the routine pays remarkable dividends.

What are some life hacks that you would recommend for a new administrator? I have three key items. 1) Build structure and work with your administrative assistant. I have a four-folder format with each one marked: Read, Action, Sign, File. By working with my administrative assistant and building that trust, everything gets sorted for me and saves me time. 2) Journal. My superintendent was right: By ending the day with something that moved the needle closer to the vision, it keeps me positive, centered, focused and refuels the commitment. 3) Do not isolate yourself. Build a peer network in your district, your ACSA charter and region, with ACSA and your national affiliate (NASSP or NAESP). The peer support will provide you with more benefits that you can know with regard to inspiration, encouragement, a shoulder to lean on, current learning and validation. Once you do this, you will look back and say, “Whatever was I waiting for? I spent too much time spinning my wheels and could have had all this support!”

What would people be surprised to learn about you? That is a hard question. I am such an extrovert and transparent, so not much about me is a surprise to anyone. I suppose the only surprise might be that the first 18 years in my educational career, I was also an ordained minister serving a local church in my community in a pastoral role.

What made you want to become a school administrator? That is a two-fold story. During high school, the assistant principal was there for me during some very challenging times. He reminded me often of the potential he saw in me and helped change my trajectory significantly. I later became a teacher and my former fifth-grade teacher, who also knew my personal backstory, became my principal during my initial teaching years. She did the same and gave me opportunities for site leadership and told me often that she saw a mindset and gifts that should not be restricted to one classroom but to a school. I took that step, as I wanted to give to others what was given to me, and I saw my challenges reflected in so many students.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome to get where you are? I would have to say the biggest challenge to overcome to get where I am is outside perceptions of success or “upward movement.” I made a definite decision to remain a principal and move [grade] levels rather than pursue an upward district positional career ladder. I did so because my personal purpose was to make a daily difference in the lives of students, as was done for me, and then to support and strengthen site leadership with my ACSA and NASSP involvement while remaining a principal. I have faced comments from friends who, in their view, felt I needed to move up. I have repeated my philosophy countless times: It is not about position but about influence, inspiration and personal fulfillment. I am where I was meant to be, doing what I was meant to do , and my heart and soul are filled to overflowing by every student, parent and staff member that I am able to impact.

What are you most proud of accomplishing? There are things that are in my wheelhouse and things that are not, and I have surrounded myself with a team and with a network to help me in all arenas. But the one thing in my entire career and across all three levels of principalship that I am most proud of is making every person I encounter feel seen, heard and valued. I do not want this to sound haughty but that has always been a driving factor for me and for everyone in my schools. No matter where I go, I run into someone and they never hesitate coming up to chat, knowing I am energized by that encounter.

How has ACSA supported you in your career/current position? The ways that ACSA has supported me are numerous. Early on of course, I found the wisdom of others in the publications that helped me navigate the leadership of a school site, as I could never be an expert in everything. Research, ideas and how others addressed issues and initiatives helped me to tackle those in my schools. Then the expansion of a personal network of collaborators via the region and then serving on two of the councils (middle and secondary) provided a vast array of peers with whom I could bounce off ideas, gain inspiration, or seek support when I faced a challenge or new hurdle and needed to identify possible solutions. I could not be where I am also without the professional development from the Academies. Being a participant in them was a rich enhancement of my role and then to later become a director for the last nine years, I learn every year from our presenters and from our new site leaders as they help keep me fresh in the current paradigm.

The theme for this year’s Leadership Summit is “Lead Loudly: Sharing Stories, Building Bridges.” What does Lead Loudly mean to you? We must avidly, openly and visibly educate, advocate and motivate our public about the values of public education and real stories about why education is still the most vital way to develop a civil society and an informed electorate.

Policy makers are not practicing educators, so we need seats at the table to help shape education policy. We need to participate in legislative action days, action alerts, visit district offices of our legislators and officials, and invite them to our schools.

Parents see school through the lens of their generational experience and what societal, social, and technological impacts were at their moment in school. For that reason, we need to work with and communicate regularly with our parent community to help them see their child’s education via the current lens as we help prepare students for a future that is rapidly changing.

We must also take visible actions to stay abreast of changes in learning. Outside of the classroom teacher, the research says the next most significant factor in learning and achievement is an effective principal. A recent report from the Pew Research Center, in fact, identified principals as the most trusted leaders in our country’s most prominent institutions — more than elected officials, religious leaders, military leaders, tech leaders, journalists and police. We need to honor that trust and lead with intent and purpose to be the bridge between policymakers, parents, community, and our staff and students by sharing the real stories and being the connection that binds all these parties as we reshape the education paradigm going forward.