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Celebrating National School Principals’ Day with Brittany Cormack
In this special spotlight, we recognize Brittany’s unwavering conviction: that a principal’s true power lies in empowering everyone else in the building.
Brittany Cormack
School Leader • KIPP Somos Primary • San Antonio Region
Today, May 1, marks National School Principals’ Day. It is our pleasure to feature an outstanding Big KIPPster whose dedication, creativity, and heart make a lasting difference across our schools. Brittany Cormack’s path to becoming a school leader was deeply personal.
Growing up as a first-generation American and the first in her family to earn a college degree, Brittany experienced firsthand the transformative power of education. That experience planted a seed that would eventually grow into a calling. After seven years of teaching middle and high school science, she pursued her Master’s of Education in Educational Leadership at the University of Florida, and today she leads KIPP Somos Primary, where she serves 304 students in San Antonio.
“Education is the one profession that leads to every other profession,” Brittany shares, “and I believe every child who believes in themselves first had an educator who believed in them.”
That belief shapes everything about how she leads.
More than a School Leader
Brittany challenges one assumption that follows school leaders everywhere. Being the principal, she’ll tell you, does not make you the most important person in the building.
“This work is impossible without every single person who makes a school run,” she says. “Our teachers, leaders, office staff, parents and families, students, custodial team, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, instructional aides, substitutes, and support staff all play an essential role in student success. We each have a part to play, and in that sense, we are all the most important people in the building.”
It’s a philosophy that shows up in the culture she’s building at KIPP Somos Primary. Shared ownership of student success is visible in everyday moments across campus.
A Village in Action
Many stories capture the KIPP Somos Primary spirit. When you visit a campus, you see an assistant principal sitting with third graders in the school lobby, squeezing in tutoring time while students wait for their parents during dismissal. Teachers from non-tested grades volunteer for tutoring sessions and Saturday school. Staff show up not because they have to, but because they believe in what’s possible.
“At KIPP Somos Primary, we know what our students are capable of, and we will not stop until they reach their goals. Even in elementary school, we lead with the belief that our students are college-bound.”
Finding Inspiration in the Small Wins
Brittany finds her daily motivation close to home: in the students she serves.
“My biggest inspiration comes from students, especially when I see growth, even in the smallest ways, whether it is in behavior, academics, or character,” she reflects. “Those small wins matter because they represent persistence, resilience, and progress.”
That perspective directly shapes how she leads. She makes it a priority to celebrate growth publicly, recognizing that acknowledgment fuels momentum. And she’s intentional about modeling a positive outlook for her team because, as she puts it, “Positivity is contagious.”
Defining Success on Her Own Terms
Brittany measures success in ways that don’t always show up on a spreadsheet. Data matters to her, but it’s only part of the picture.
“True success is found in the growth and progress students make every day, in the journey, the trial-and-error, and the persistence it takes to keep moving forward,” she explains. “It is also reflected in the joy and culture across campus when students and staff want to come to school each day and feel proud of their school.”
Advice for New Big KIPPsters
Now in her seventh year with KIPP Texas and first year as a school leader, Brittany’s advice is grounded and direct.
“Feedback is love,” she says. “Take it seriously and find ways to apply it in your work every day, because there is a lesson to learn in every situation. Find a mentor who truly believes in you, challenges you, and advocates for you, because while you can do this work alone, you do not have to.”
She also encourages new staff to advocate loudly for themselves and their students, and to lean on the KIPP Texas network. No one, she emphasizes, has to figure it out from scratch.
Gratitude and a Community to Match
Brittany closes with a shoutout to everyone who has placed their trust in her leadership this year: teachers, staff, families, and students alike.
“It would be impossible to do this work without every bright and shining face in our school community,” she says warmly. “We are truly a family, and I believe we can achieve anything we set our minds to. This has been my favorite school year yet.”
At KIPP Somos Primary, that family is showing up every single day, for every single student. And Brittany Cormack is leading the charge alongside them.
