{"id":50774,"date":"2026-03-04T09:34:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T13:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/?p=50774"},"modified":"2026-03-04T14:50:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:50:54","slug":"believing-every-child-needs-a-champion-dr-jamar-alston-joins-nphs-admin-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/top-stories\/2026\/03\/04\/believing-every-child-needs-a-champion-dr-jamar-alston-joins-nphs-admin-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Believing &#8220;every child needs a champion,&#8221; Dr. Jamar Alston joins NPHS admin team"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When students return to class and teachers settle into the school day, they may notice a new presence in the hallways, one that comes with a smile, a conversation, and a simple question. North Penn\u2019s new assistant principal, Dr. Jamar Alston has joined the community with more than 20 years of experience in education and a leadership philosophy centered on four words: \u201chow can I help?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alston is easy to spot in the halls. He might be pausing to admire the artwork on a classroom bulletin board, checking in with a teacher, or joking with a student as they pass by.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI want to learn North Penn,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to be acclimated and be a valued member of this community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For him, leadership is less about issuing rules and more about being present and listening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy role here as an assistant principal, at least early on, is really just to examine what&#8217;s being done,\u201d Alston said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alston began his career in education as an in-school suspension teacher in the Chester Upland School District before teaching social studies at Greystone Academy Charter School. He later spent 14 years in the Upper Darby School District, working as a social studies teacher, science teacher, and cyber tutor. Over time, the classroom became more than just a place to teach content. It became a space where he learned how students grow, struggle, and succeed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<aside>\n    <div class='pullquote sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 sno-animate pullquote-shadow'>\n                <div class=\"quotebody\">\n                        <div class='largequote'>&ldquo;<\/div>\n                                    <p class='pullquotetext'>The classroom isn\u2019t just about the content. It\u2019s about discovering how each person learns and how they grow<\/p>\n                            <p class='quotespeaker'>&mdash; Dr. Jamar Alston<\/p>\n                        <div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<style>\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 {\n    display: flex;\n    float: left;\n    margin: 30px 30px 30px 0;\n    width: 50%;\n    border-color: #55bffc;\n    border-top-width: 5px;\n    border-right-width: 5px;\n    border-bottom-width: 5px;\n    border-left-width: 5px;\n    background-color: #0d0523;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 p.pullquotetext,\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 p.quotespeaker {\n    color: #ffffff !important;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 .pullquotepic {\n    width: 33%;\n    margin-left: 25px;\n}\n.sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 p.pullquotetext {\n    font-size: 22px;\n    line-height: 1.4em;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 .quotebar {\n    background: #75caff;\n    flex: 0 0 90px;\n    margin-top: -15px;\n    margin-left: -15px;\n    padding-left: 15px;\n    padding-top: 15px;\n    margin-right: 15px;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 .largequote {\n\tcolor: #ffffff;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6078882 .quotebody {\n    width: unset;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI learned that every student has a story,\u201d Alston said. \u201cThe classroom isn\u2019t just about the content. It\u2019s about discovering how each person learns and how they grow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eventually, he moved into administration, serving as assistant principal at King\u2019s Highway Elementary School and later at Coatesville High School for more than five years. Along the way, he developed his core philosophy that leadership is service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI believe my position here is to help, to remove barriers, and to help people reach their potential,\u201d Alston explained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That mindset was shaped early in his life. Alston said his love for education began with a passion for history and discovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI had a fascination for Indiana Jones. I loved archaeology,\u201d Alston said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know if I wanted to teach it, I just loved everything about it. I loved discovering, interacting with the past. And then preserving it, and educating others about the beauty of the past.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even before he knew he wanted to pursue a career in teaching, he knew he wanted to learn and share knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the people who turned that interest into purpose was his high school social studies teacher and track coach, Michael Payton.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe made history feel alive,\u201d Alston said. \u201cI just loved that he brought passion everyday to students. Students just loved being in his presence. He would have a saying in his classroom. He would say, \u2018I\u2019m looking for my next Paytonian Scholar.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust interacting with him made me say, I want to be Mr. Payton,\u201d Alston explained. \u201cI\u00a0 want to go out and do the work that Mr. Payton was doing for students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inspired by his former teacher, he created the \u201cAlstonian Scholar\u201d award in his own classroom, recognizing students who gave their best and embodied curiosity, effort, and heart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another influence came from his home. Alston said his father, although not a teacher, was passionate about helping people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<aside>\n    <div class='pullquote sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 sno-animate pullquote-shadow'>\n                <div class=\"quotebody\">\n                        <div class='largequote'>&ldquo;<\/div>\n                                    <p class='pullquotetext'>My father was a tradesman. He was passionate about helping people. His whole approach was teaching other people the beauty of working with their hands. It didn\u2019t matter who you were, what your skill set was. If you were someone who wanted to learn how to work, he was willing to teach you<\/p>\n                            <p class='quotespeaker'>&mdash; Dr. Jamar Alston<\/p>\n                        <div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<style>\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 {\n    display: flex;\n    float: right;\n    margin: 30px 0 30px 30px;\n    width: 50%;\n    border-color: #55bffc;\n    border-top-width: 5px;\n    border-right-width: 5px;\n    border-bottom-width: 5px;\n    border-left-width: 5px;\n    background-color: #0d0523;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 p.pullquotetext,\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 p.quotespeaker {\n    color: #ffffff !important;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 .pullquotepic {\n    width: 33%;\n    margin-left: 25px;\n}\n.sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 p.pullquotetext {\n    font-size: 22px;\n    line-height: 1.4em;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 .quotebar {\n    background: #75caff;\n    flex: 0 0 90px;\n    margin-top: -15px;\n    margin-left: -15px;\n    padding-left: 15px;\n    padding-top: 15px;\n    margin-right: 15px;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 .largequote {\n\tcolor: #ffffff;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc6079033 .quotebody {\n    width: unset;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy father was a tradesman by trade. He was passionate about helping people. His whole approach was teaching other people the beauty of working with their hands. It didn\u2019t matter who you were, what your skill set was. If you were someone who wanted to learn how to work, he was willing to teach you,\u201d Alston said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watching his father work alongside others, patiently showing them each step, shaped Alston\u2019s approach to leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[My father] showed me that teaching is not just about instruction. It\u2019s about character, patience, and helping others reach their potential. He was also a man that loved the game of chess. For me, it was the critical thinking, the work with others, and seeing people reach their peak potential that really inspired me,\u201d Alston said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At North Penn, he is bringing that philosophy into practice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think there are a lot of factors that go into making a school environment successful. Initially, it does start with the leadership. The leaders of the community create an environment in which others want to be a part.\u2029If you look around my room, part of the reason why I put some of the little wholesome quotes on my wall is it kind of lends to that. Like you see here, it says, \u201cpeople support what they help create\u201d. If you&#8217;re someone who&#8217;s in a leadership role, you want to create an environment where it draws people in. And by drawing people in, it allows those people to then be a part of what you&#8217;re creating. \u2029It then allows those people to maximize their potential and then also give back. And eventually, you create others\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alston believes that strong schools require teachers, students, and community members to all feel invested.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThese are the ones that inspire and pull those resources of ingenuity out of the youth. So for me, it starts really with them. I believe that in addition to that, you have the student body. These are the ones that come in with the ideas. And then, in addition to that, you have the stakeholders. You have the people who are outside the community, the people who are doing the investing, bringing in the resources and jobs. I think all of this, to me, creates a strong community,\u201d Alston said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since arriving at North Penn, Alston focused on listening and learning rather than making immediate changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs I begin to learn North Penn, I come in with these two leadership models in mind,\u201d Alston said. \u201cAnd there may be some other ones that will come in, but for now, my main focus is to be a servant and to help with distributing leadership. And then, focus on the core content, student achievement, and what I can do to help and promote success.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside of school, Alston has plenty to keep him busy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI love puzzles,\u201d Alston said. \u201cI like trying to, you know, figure things out. I like decorating, that\u2019s something I\u2019m passionate about. I like boxing. I boxed during my 20s. I didn\u2019t go professional, but I did train with professionals. I ran track in high school. I am a family person. I love my wife and kids. Farah is my wife, Jaden, Amaya and Chase are my kids. \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked what advice he would give students, he referenced a quote that guides his work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy first quote is one that I\u2019m extremely passionate about, which is, \u2018Unless someone like you cares a whole, awful lot, nothing is going to get better.\u2019 Dr. Seuss. I really like the Lorax, and that\u2019s where I got this quote from. I taught this to children when I was an elementary assistant principal, where I said to them, if you want to see change in the world, you have to be a part of that. People are going to follow you if you\u2019re authentic, if you\u2019re genuine, if you\u2019re present. And I feel like the messaging has to be on point. If you see the world not going in a direction that you believe it should be, then you can\u2019t wait for someone else to step up to make that change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<aside>\n    <div class='pullquote sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a sno-animate pullquote-shadow'>\n                <div class=\"quotebody\">\n                        <div class='largequote'>&ldquo;<\/div>\n                                    <p class='pullquotetext'>People are going to follow you if you\u2019re authentic, if you\u2019re genuine, if you\u2019re present. And I feel like the messaging has to be on point.<\/p>\n                            <p class='quotespeaker'>&mdash; Dr, Jamar Alston<\/p>\n                        <div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<style>\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a {\n    display: flex;\n    float: left;\n    margin: 30px 30px 30px 0;\n    width: 50%;\n    border-color: #55bffc;\n    border-top-width: 5px;\n    border-right-width: 5px;\n    border-bottom-width: 5px;\n    border-left-width: 5px;\n    background-color: #0d0523;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a p.pullquotetext,\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a p.quotespeaker {\n    color: #ffffff !important;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a .pullquotepic {\n    width: 33%;\n    margin-left: 25px;\n}\n.sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a p.pullquotetext {\n    font-size: 22px;\n    line-height: 1.4em;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a .quotebar {\n    background: #75caff;\n    flex: 0 0 90px;\n    margin-top: -15px;\n    margin-left: -15px;\n    padding-left: 15px;\n    padding-top: 15px;\n    margin-right: 15px;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a .largequote {\n\tcolor: #ffffff;\n}\n.sno-pullquote-6a45bc607966a .quotebody {\n    width: unset;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also shared another guiding message, \u201cEvery child needs a champion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Dr. Alston, those ideas are not just words on a wall. They are principles he carries into every interaction. As students continue to pass him in the hallways and stop by his office, he hopes they hear one simple question: \u201chow can I help?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When students return to class and teachers settle into the school day, they may notice a new presence in the hallways, one that comes with a smile, a conversation, and a simple question. North Penn\u2019s new assistant principal, Dr. Jamar Alston has joined the community with more than 20 years of experience in education and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,11],"tags":[],"staff_name":[1401],"class_list":["post-50774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-in-the-pods","category-top-stories","staff_name-claire-segrest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50774"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50786,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50774\/revisions\/50786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50774"},{"taxonomy":"staff_name","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/staff_name?post=50774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}