Stephen T. Wiltshire Jr.

North Street Elementary School
Grafton Public Schools
Grafton, Massachusetts
wiltshires@grafton.k12.ma.us

Stephen Wiltshire Jr. has served as principal of North Street Elementary School for the past five years. An effective team builder with a passion for instructional development, Wiltshire has demonstrated a capacity at harnessing the internal knowledge and skills of his staff to improve school culture and data-based teaching practices. This approach guided the implementation of social and emotional learning goals at North Street, as Wiltshire assembled a committee tasked with ensuring teachers have the resources and professional development necessary to bring SEL best practices into their classrooms. Through collective leadership, this committee developed a schoolwide tier system aligned with established PBIS and Responsive Classroom techniques. Notably, this committee regularly integrates student perspectives and feedback in its ongoing work. This systematic and participatory approach to SEL has led to decreased referrals and classroom disruptions and a stronger embrace of the school’s core values. Wiltshire has also shown that he can revive failing collaborations in a way that restores community trust. When he arrived at North Street, teachers had little faith in the Support Team, but by reestablishing group norms and creating a transparent, streamlined process for analyzing data and determining goals, teachers have regained confidence and students have made immediate gains. Wiltshire holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Western New England University and a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Springfield College.