Shantay McKinily

Shantay McKinily

Director

Shantay McKinily is the Director of the Positive Schools Center (PSC) at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Morgan State University in 1998, a Master of Science in Adult Education from Coppin State University in 2007 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Urban Education Leadership from Morgan State University. She served Baltimore City Public Schools for nineteen years, eight of those years were spent serving as the principal of the “Wonderful” Walter P. Carter Elementary/Middle School. At the PSC, she now works to train and support principals, leadership teams, and district office staff to create nurturing, holistic racially equitable learning environments. In addition to providing leadership coaching, she provides training in Restorative Practices, Trauma informed Care and Healing approaches and implementing successful alternatives to punitive discipline methods in schools. Most recently she has been supporting teachers, leaders, parents, and communities on how to become “Competent Adults” on their path to wholeness. Shantay has taken a vested interested in Black womanhood by creating spaces for Black women to rest and evolving the “Superwoman Syndrome”. Shantay believes that in order for Black women to heal and thrive, safe places must be intentionally created with love, vulnerability, forgiveness, and empathy.