Yasmeen Muhammad-Leonard

Yasmeen Muhammad has passionately served Chicago Public Schools for over 17 years. She is the humble principal of Louis Nettelhorst Elementary School and is driven by the Masai greeting, "And how are the children?" She has an unwavering commitment to changing the trajectory of every child's life by ensuring equity and excellence for all by cultivating inclusive learning environments where students are empowered to embrace their identities and express themselves critically, artistically, and emotionally. Her firm belief is that we must use our positionality to lift our school communities to impact every child in every neighborhood. 

Throughout the years as a school leader, she established structures that allow for distributed leadership, fostering culturally inclusive learning environments, coaching school leaders, annual fiscal management of a multi-million-dollar budget, serving on the leadership advisory boards, and as secretary for three years of the Chicago Principals and Administrators association.  

Her passion for education, commitment to the arts, and dedication to inclusivity make her a respected figure in the field of education in Chicago. Her inspiring leadership continues to leave a lasting impact on the lives of students, teachers, and families at Nettelhorst and a testament to the power of education in shaping our city's future.