Dr. Bilal Polson 

Areas of Expertise: Curriculum Development, Staff Development, Technology, Special Education 

Dr. Bilal Polson has served the students, families, and staff of Northern Parkway Elementary School in Uniondale, NY (a lab site for instructional research, inquiry for curriculum development and professional learning for teachers, leaders and organizations) as assistant principal (2007-2015) and principal (2016-present).   

After graduating from LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts, Polson studied movement therapy at New York University, where author, activist and film producer Sistah Souljah mentored him during the emergence of the hip-hop activism movement. Attending graduate school at UCLA Polson served as managing editor of Rap Pages magazine, leading to a career in the music business (A&R MCA/Universal).  Bilal worked with notable artists including Mary J. Blige and later with Wu-Tang Corporation.  He holds advanced educational leadership degrees from Adelphi and Hofstra University.  Polson’s experiences within hip-hop activism, movement, and the music industry influence his instructional leadership-he views children, families, and curriculum as artistic media, and teachers as artists whose creativity and brilliance he seeks to showcase. 

Dr. Polson serves as a mentor to other principals, teachers and instructional leaders throughout the country.  He has made significant contributions within the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).  Bilal was a founding member of NCTE’s Professional Dyads in Culturally Relevant Teaching (PDCRT) program (2013-2015), and co-director (2015-2019).  Dr. Polson consistently presents at national conferences and co-authors peer-reviewed manuscripts and books.  He is the co-editor of Toward Culturally Sustaining Teaching: Early Childhood Educators Honor Children with Practices for Equity and Change (NCTE/Routledge 2020).  Dr. Polson is the recipient of the 2024 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Advancement of People of Color Leadership Award (APCL). 

He enjoys living in Bay Shore, NY with his wife Patty and sons, Aliasha and Malachi.