Daniel Kaffar

Central Middle School
Devils Lake Public Schools
Devils Lake, North Dakota
dan.kaffar@dlschools.org

Daniel Kaffar became principal of Central Middle School in 2017, following a successful four-year tenure as assistant principal. Throughout his leadership at Central Middle, Kaffar has advanced student-centered teaching practices that shore up academic growth with a blend of traditional and experiential learning, supporting students not only for the following school year but also for whatever is next for them in their personal development. Central Middle School students build fluency in collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills in the school’s Smart Lab and have the opportunity to build “soft” career skills in volunteer-led professional simulations through The Amazing Shake. Kaffar has also helped the school sharpen its classroom-based practices by emphasizing clarity, collaboration, and differentiation in the planning process, which has also helped shift the school’s overall culture toward continuous growth. A recent initiative to boost math fluency is showing early signs of success by implementing consistent, short daily practice exercises that strengthen foundational competencies while preserving instructional space for teaching advanced concepts. Teachers have also shifted toward more transparent instruction practices that anchor students in a purposeful understanding of each lesson and how their active engagement will move them closer to content mastery. Kaffar holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Family Science from North Dakota State University, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from State Valley City State University, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota.