Dr. Nathan Burch

Claymont Elementary School
Parkway C-2 School District
Ballwin, Missouri
[email protected]

As a school leader, Nathan Burch strives to build an environment that allows students to build a strong sense of purpose, inclusion, and belonging. As principal of Claymont Elementary School for the last five years, Burch has fulfilled this mission by transforming professional development and expanding opportunities for students to explore their passions, build community, and develop the qualities of mindful, empowered learners. He recently introduced elective clubs at Claymont, and students now have 17 options for pursuing interests alongside their peers, with 50 percent of students participating. Under Burch’s leadership, Claymont strives to fulfill the school district’s mission of creating “capable, curious, caring, and confident learners” by building student awareness of their progress through actionable goal-setting. Claymont students not only engage with the same data that teachers use to guide instruction, but they also participate in reflective dialogue to identify the support they need to do their best. By increasing student ownership in the learning process, students have increased their capacity to trace their learning outcomes back to daily classroom practices, in turn bolstering their confidence, motivation, and resilience in the face of academic challenge. Claymont has been recognized as a State and National School of Character. Burch holds three degrees in Education, including a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University, an M.S. from Missouri Baptist University, and an Ed.D. from Maryville University.