According to her supervisor, the hallmark of Mrs. Christine Bonow’s leaderships is her “ability
to develop and implement a shared vision.” In her six years as principal of Redfield Elementary
School, she has done just that. When Bonow arrived at Redfield, she inherited a divided culture
following the merger of two elementary schools and immediately set out to build a cohesive and
positive identity to support students’ wellbeing and success. To this end, she guided the
transition from a School Improvement Plan to a Continuous Improvement Plan, leading teachers
and staff to create newly articulated school mission and values statements that resonated with all
stakeholders and provided teachers with a compass for instructional development. Through
effective community engagement, strategic and differentiated professional development, and
targeted intervention, Bonow has led Redfield toward academic growth; the school has improved
from a “B” to an “A” rating under her leadership. By implementing a multi-tiered system of
support for behavior, which included the introduction of “Cardinal Cash,” a school currency that
affirms and rewards positive behavior, she and her staff have also unified school-wide behavior
expectations. As a result, discipline referrals have decreased and staff and families note a culture
that makes kids feel safe, nurtured, and supported. Bonow holds two M.A.s from Northern
Arizona University and a B.A. from Arizona State University.