About Us

The Principal Project is the visionary creation of its CEO, Wayne Muhammad, whose inspiring journey from "the projects to the principal's office" is a testament to his resilience, determination, and dedication to education. With nearly three decades of experience in the field, Wayne has excelled in roles ranging from elementary and middle school teacher to assistant principal, principal, and HBCU Assistant Director of Admissions.

As a transformative Social Studies teacher, Wayne made a lasting impact during his 10-year tenure in the classroom. He achieved the prestigious “Master Level 5” teacher designation in Tennessee by consistently driving exceptional results—at least 90% of his students passed the state TCAP Social Studies test for three consecutive years, surpassing Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ performance by double digits.

Since 2012, Wayne has distinguished himself as an innovative and results-driven school leader. He has contributed to the success of KIPP Memphis Schools in Tennessee and National Heritage Academies in North Carolina. At Research Triangle Charter Academy in Durham, NC, he led the school to its highest enrollment in 20 years and secured its first-ever 10-year charter renewal, an exceptional achievement for urban charter schools in North Carolina. Wayne also served as the founding principal of Summit Creek Charter Academy in Greensboro, NC, before taking on a critical role as Leader on Assignment for National Heritage Academies. In this capacity, he lent his expertise to Forsyth Academy and Winterville Charter Academy.

Beginning in 2021, Wayne spearheaded turnaround initiatives at schools in Detroit and Indianapolis, re-establishing academic excellence and fostering improvement. His efforts continued with transformational leadership roles at KIPP Durham Middle School in Durham, NC, and Lakeside Charter Academy in Charlotte, NC, further demonstrating his ability to drive meaningful change.

Wayne’s academic accomplishments are equally impressive. He earned a B.A. in History from Fayetteville State University on a full four-year Chancellor’s Academic Scholarship, graduating Cum Laude. While at Fayetteville, he held numerous leadership positions, including Freshman Class Vice-President, Sophomore Class President, SGA Senator, SGA/Student Body President, Associate Justice of the Student Judicial Board, and Editor-in-Chief of the university newspaper. He later obtained his Middle Grades Social Studies Teaching Certification from North Carolina Central University through a full two-year Leave No Teacher Behind Scholarship.

In his pursuit of educational excellence, Principal Muhammad graduated from KIPP’s School Leadership Program in 2012 and National Heritage Academies’ School Leadership Academy in 2014. He also joined Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s prestigious Race, Equity, and Leadership Institute in 2017, further deepening his commitment to equity in education.

Beyond his career in education, Wayne is a nationally recognized public speaker. At just 17 years old, he earned a $10,000 prize for his impactful speech for the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs Youth Division, awarded by the publishers of Jet and Ebony Magazines. Over the past three decades, Principal Muhammad has captivated audiences across the nation, delivering keynote addresses and presentations at schools, churches, colleges, conventions, businesses, and educational conferences. His notable appearances include the National Charter School Conference, Impacting Student Learning Conference, BOND Academy, and Teacher2Teacher Conference, among others. Principal Muhammad is a husband and father who loves traveling, reading, sports, and trivia.