Michelle Hope

Michelle Rachel Hope, Ed.D., is a principal and education leader whose work focuses on supporting new and novice teachers in their early years in the classroom. Drawing on her experience as a school administrator, she emphasizes creating welcoming, emotionally safe school cultures and building systems that foster trust, operational clarity, and strong instructional support for early-career educators.

Hope is the author of Building a Strong Foundation: How School Leaders Can Help New Teachers Succeed and Stay, an ASCD member book that offers strategies for helping teachers develop confidence and competence during their first five years of teaching. In the book and related professional learning work, she highlights the importance of effective classroom management, collaborative planning, and sustained coaching and professional development as key levers for improving teacher retention and student learning.