Headshot of Dr. John McKenna wearing a dark navy suit, white shirt, and blue tie, smiling against a black background.

HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA

HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA

HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA

HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA

HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA HI, I'M DR. JOHN McKENNA

John’s Journey

First Administrative Position

My first position as an administrator was quite formidable.  I was the second youngest employee on the staff. This presented multiple challenges because much of the staff were experienced and set in their ways. They believed in traditional teaching methods and a one-size-fits-all mentality, which was completely different from my vision. They were good people, but they needed direction. I needed to change the paradigm and move people from a fixed to a growth mindset, which wasn’t easy. I decided to get to know each staff member individually, much like I got to know every student. This individualized approach helped forge pathways to cohesive staff success. Some were open to change, some remained undecided, and some were stuck. This showed me that I needed to provide individualized professional learning to meet the needs of each staff member, to scaffold them to success. I fostered their active engagement by asking them to join me in creating a shared vision, mission and goals. I also created collaborative teams that met regularly to create action plans to achieve the goals, focusing on teamwork. This allowed the team to take personal ownership in a continuous system of improvement. The result was that the school became the #1 elementary school in our county and received the “high performing gap-closing school award” from the New York State Department of Education.

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First Position / Teacher & Coach

When I started my career as a special education teacher and coach, I had no idea what a profound effect it would have on me and my unwavering belief that all students can be successful. As I got to know the kids in my classroom and on the athletic fields, my students showed me that every child has unique talent, intelligence, and their own personal genius, and I became a fierce advocate for comprehensive education. I fought for extensive classes to be formed and for curriculum to be based on the individual needs of students, and was able to help construct new, universal classes. My passion that all students can be successful led me to become a school administrator where I was able to implement my vision of individualization and differentiation and help two struggling schools rise to unprecedented levels of success. 

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Beating the Odds

In 2017, I received a letter from an organization called “Better Outcomes, LLC” which  conducted a study on public schools with significantly socio-economically disadvantaged students. My school was identified as one of the top performing 197 schools in New York State.  The letter further identified that my school scored “unusually high” even among the 197 outliers and was amongst the top 30 schools in the state.There are approximately 4,000 elementary schools in New York State, so this was a huge accomplishment. We were identified as “Beating the Odds” despite the multiple economic and social disadvantages of our students. I was asked to “share my wisdom and contribute to a knowledge base on how to beat the odds with some of New Yorks’ most fragile students.” This started my journey to share my formula for success, helping and supporting others to exceed their expectations and beat the odds.

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Superintendent

The day before the beginning of the 2020 school year during the pandemic, the school board asked me to step in as Superintendent and help steer the district back on course. They’d suspended my predecessor due to unpreparedness, and it was up to me to get 10,000 kids and 3,000 teachers and staff back to learning.  I faced incredible challenges having half of the parents furious at all times - some wanted their kids in school, and some wanted them to have remote learning at home, and I needed to accommodate everyone.  I had to think quickly and decided to come up with a strategic plan to align the district. I created a Hybrid Learning Model, based on meetings with other district leaders, students, and staff, and creating groups assigned to specific tasks. The result was getting the district up and running in a very short period of time, when no one thought it could be done. I knew what had to be done before I accepted the challenge, and I did it.

Redistricting & Reconfiguration

Due to declining enrollment, our district had to make major changes. One of our four elementary schools was suddenly eliminated and the entire district was reconfigured. I was transferred as Principal to the lowest performing school in the district with a mix of staff from all four schools. It was a volatile environment. There were votes of no confidence against the superintendent and district office administration, and the staff was picketing in protest. I had to bring this hostile group together and focus their intention on the job that needed to be done. I knew what to do. I began by discussing and identifying our moral purpose.  We then created a shared vision, mission, beliefs, values and goals. Next, we established collaborative teams based on our goals and began writing action plans to bring our mission to life. I worked very closely with the staff at all times, and with encouragement, they became empowered to research best practices and pilot new programs. We began to gel as a team and it wasn’t long before we were making great progress. In the eight years I was Principal, we went from the lowest performing school to the highest performing school in our district, and were recognized by Better Outcomes for “Beating the Odds.” 

Leadership Roles:

Additionally, Dr. McKenna has served as President and in other esteemed leadership positions in many prestigious organizations around the world:

  • He was the President of the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) where he served approximately 500 school districts across New York State and represented over 20,000 school district administrators. He also served as the Chairman for the Western New York Region for SAANYS for several years, servicing approximately 90 school districts in the areas of professional development, negotiations, government relations, and personnel matters.
     

  • He currently serves as the President Emeritus of the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association (GSEAA) at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) representing over 25,000 alumni, and served many years on the Executive Board of Directors as well as the Board of Directors at the University at Buffalo Alumni Association, representing over 300,000 alumni.
     

  • He currently serves as the President of the Buffalo-Niagara PDK (Phi Delta Kappa) as well as their Board of Directors for the Buffalo-Niagara Chapter.

  • Dr. McKenna served as President of the Committee to Identify and Develop Educational Leaders (CIDEL), and is currently their Niagara University faculty Representative. This committee works cooperatively with school districts as well as Colleges and Universities across Western New York to identify potential leaders and match them with the program that best meets their needs.
     

  • He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Society for Educational Planners (ISEP) and has presented in various countries including Africa, China, Israel, and at Oxford University in England.
     

  • Dr. McKenna was the former Education and Legislative Chairman for the Niagara Region PTSA. In these roles he represented the region at the New York State Capital in Albany as well as provided information, workshops, and presentations to parent groups across the Niagara Region.

Dr. John McKenna wearing a dark suit and light blue shirt, smiling, standing behind a wooden podium in a conference room with wood-paneled walls and a large screen displaying a presentation.

Education

2021    Harvard University

  • Harvard Graduate School Executive Education & Harvard Graduate School of Education

  • Certificate: School Management & Leadership (CSML)

  • Certificate: Authentic Leader Development

2014    Cornell University

  • School of Industrial and Labor Relations & The SC Johnson College of Business

  • Certificate: Executive Leadership

Ed.D.   2008 State University of New York at Buffalo

  • Department of Educational Leadership & Policy

  • Dissertation Title:  The Development and Implementation of a Balanced Literacy Intervention Program

  • Certification:  School District Administration (SDA) 1998

  • Major: Leadership & Policy

M.S.  1992  Niagara University

  • Certification:  School Administrator Supervisor (SAS)

  • Major:  Educational Administration & Supervision

B.S.  1988  State University College at Buffalo

  • Certification:  Elementary, N-6; Special Education, K-12

  • Major:  Elementary Education, K-6 and Exceptional Education, K-12

Awards & Recognitions

  1. The New York State Outstanding Educator of the Year Award from SAANYS (School Administrators Association of New York State.)

  2. Honored on two occasions by the New York State Senate: a Legislative Resolution for Dedication and Service, and a Proclamation for Outstanding Leadership for successfully leading the Williamsville Central School District as Acting Superintendent during the pandemic.

  3. Two prestigious Distinguished Alumni Awards by the State University of New York at Buffalo from The Graduate School of Education (representing over 25,000 alumni) and the University at Buffalo Alumni Association (representing over 300,000 alumni).

  4. The Beating the Odds & Building Opportunities Award for leading one of the top performing schools in New York State based on boosting student achievement of socio-economically disadvantaged students from Better Outcomes, LLC., SUNY New Paltz, New York.

  5. The New York State PTA Honorary Life Membership Award for Outstanding Service to students, parents, and teachers.

  6. The Presidential Excellence Award for Lasting Service, Outstanding Leadership and Lifelong Contribution to the Graduate School of Education from SUNY at Buffalo UBGSEAA (University of Buffalo Graduate School of Education Alumni Association.)

  7. Kappa Delta PI Honorary Lifetime Member Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Education Profession from the Niagara University Chapter.

  8. PDK (Phi Delta Kappa) International Presidential Award as Distinguished Principal of the Year from the Buffalo / Niagara Chapter.

  9. Dr. Ronald Black Distinguished Leader Award from SAANYS (School Administrators Association of New York State) WNY Region.

  10. Friend of Education Award in Recognition of an Outstanding Career with Superior Performance, Dedication and Service Which Has Touched Countless Lives from SAANYS (School Administrators Association of New York State) WNY Region.

  11. The Walter Potocki Award for Distinguished Leadership and Service from the Niagara Region PTSA.

  12. An Erie County Legislative Resolution for Devotion and Dedication in Education from the Erie County Legislature.

  13. Recipient of the “Shooting Star” award from the Make-A-Wish Foundation for his lifetime support and activism for the organization.

  14. Award for Dedicated Service to the Profession and Children of New York State from SAANYS (School Administrators Association of New York State.)

  15. Business First: Pathfinders Award for developing partnerships between business and educational Leaders.

  16. Business First:  Who’s Who in Western New York Education for accomplishments in Educational Leadership.

  17. The Leader in Me Award for outstanding school participation and program implementation from Franklin Covey, Inc.

Books

John has authored and co-authored many books on leadership and crisis management.

Dr. John McKenna wearing a dark suit, light blue shirt, and colorful patterned tie, sitting at a desk in front of a gray filing cabinet.
Four books standing side by side, each with distinct covers and titles related to education, crisis management, and social-emotional well-being.