WEST MIFFLIN — Dr. Jah-Chant Robinson has been at every grade level during her career, from elementary up to high school.
After time in classrooms at varying age ranges, though, she felt she could make the most difference with elementary schoolers, which led her to accepting a position as Homeville Elementary School’s new principal. Her appointment was approved during June’s Board of Education meeting.
“I realized the younger you reach them, the more impact you can really have on children,” Dr. Robinson said. “So I wanted to explore an elementary principal position.”
A native of McKeesport, Dr. Robinson earned her bachelor's degree in English from Carlow University and then joined the Pittsburgh Urban Teaching Corps and earned her teaching certification in English for grades 7-12.
She began her teaching career at the high school level before moving to Propel McKeesport to teach in an elementary school position. Later, she was recruited by the superintendent at McKeesport to go back home for a 10th grade position at her alma mater.
“I loved it; I really enjoyed it,” Dr. Robinson said of working with elementary schoolers.
Dr. Robinson spent five years in classrooms and taught a different grade level each year, ranging from fourth grade to 10th grade.
But her career plans included earning her doctorate degree and taking on an administrative role. So Dr. Robinson began her doctorate studies in 2021, and earned her principal certification that same year. She completed her doctoral degree at Point Park University.
After receiving her certification, Dr. Robinson served as a high school principal and then a middle school principal in the Penn Hills School District. It was while serving as a middle school principal there that Dr. Robinson realized she wanted to work with younger students.
In her new role, Dr. Robinson hopes to be relatable.
“I felt like I didn’t have someone that I needed when I was a student – someone that looked like me, was from where I was from and could relate to the child that I was,” she said. “That relatability piece is so important. If that child … understands you, or you understand the environment in which they grow up, they’re more connected to you. I truly believe that helps you to make a better impact on them.”
Dr. Robinson says she will focus especially hard on academics, while also making elementary school fun for her students. She added that social-emotional learning will be the foundation to academic success.
“I’m a strong believer that kids are kids no matter the grade level,” she said, adding, “I want to focus heavily on academics. I think that’s a really big piece. Kids are supposed to have fun. That’s huge, that’s important, and school should be fun. But students should also be learning, so I’m heavy on the academic piece.”
As she transitions into her new role, Dr. Robinson said that the support she’s received has been a large help.
“I’ve worked in a number of districts with some really great people, but the close-knit support system from the central administration office has been impactful,” Dr. Robinson said. “I was a teacher at the elementary level, but my (administrative) background is in secondary (education), so I made it clear to the administrators here that there will be a need as far as support, and they’ve really wrapped their arms around me. It’s been awesome.”
She added, “It’s something new, something different, and I’m excited to meet everybody and hit the ground running, from the staff to the students and everything in between.”