Principal’s Corner · Home of the Tigers
Leading a school where every child is known.
Welcome, learn about Dr. Furman, and explore the beliefs shaping teaching and learning at Saint Peter’s.
Principal’s Welcome
Welcome to Saint Peter’s Academy
One of the things that drew me to Saint Peter’s is something you can feel almost immediately when you walk through our doors: this is a small school where people know one another.
I believe children learn best when they know that the adults around them genuinely know them, care about them, and expect great things from them. Our size gives us an opportunity that larger schools often struggle to create—the ability to see the individual child behind the test score, the assignment, or the behavior.
That does not mean lowering expectations. Quite the opposite. At Saint Peter’s, we want our students to be challenged, curious, confident, and willing to keep trying when learning becomes difficult. One of the messages you will hear often at our school is simple: Failure is not an option. That doesn’t mean children will never fail. It means we don’t give up on them when they do.
As principal, I want Saint Peter’s to be a school where children are excited to come each morning, teachers are supported in doing exceptional work, and families know they have a genuine partner in their child’s education.
I am incredibly excited about what we are building together, and I invite you to come see Saint Peter’s for yourself.
Dr. L. Robert FurmanElementary Principal
From the principalPrincipal portrait
coming soonSaint Peter's Academy
School Leadership
About Dr. L. Robert Furman
Dr. L. Robert Furman is an educator, school leader, author, and nationally recognized speaker who has spent his career working alongside students, teachers, and families.
As Elementary Principal of Saint Peter’s Academy, Dr. Furman brings experience as both a classroom teacher and school administrator, with a leadership philosophy centered on knowing students personally, supporting teachers, building strong relationships with families, and creating a school where children are challenged to grow.
Before joining Saint Peter’s Academy, Dr. Furman served as Chief Operating Officer of Young Scholars of Western Pennsylvania Charter School near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His career has included extensive work in school leadership, instructional improvement, educational technology, literacy, and student engagement.
Dr. Furman is the author of several books, including Reading, Technology, and Digital Literacy, the ISTE bestseller Are You Future Ready?, and Engaging Young Readers. He has presented to educators across the country and has contributed to publications including The Huffington Post and EdTechReview.
His work has earned national recognition, including being named one of the National School Boards Association’s “20 to Watch” in educational technology and a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Newsmaker of the Year.
Now a Vero Beach resident, Dr. Furman is proud to call the Treasure Coast home—along with his four-legged companion, Gio.
What Guides Our Work
Educational Philosophy
Education should prepare children for the world they are entering—not simply recreate the classrooms of the past.
My passion has always been educating children and supporting the educators who teach them. I believe meaningful change in our society begins in our classrooms. When we change the way a child thinks, asks questions, solves problems, or sees what is possible, the impact can last a lifetime.
I believe great teaching requires both high expectations and the freedom to be creative. There is rarely only one way to help a child master an idea. Teachers should have the ability to innovate, experiment, and design learning experiences that respond to the students sitting in front of them.
I have often challenged educators not simply to “think outside the box,” but to recognize that there does not have to be a box at all. The goal is not conformity in teaching. The goal is learning. Give teachers room to be creative, give students meaningful opportunities to engage, and remain unwavering about what students are capable of achieving.
Technology is an important part of that future. Throughout my career, I have written and spoken about educational technology, digital literacy, and the changing nature of learning. Today, tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and emerging technologies offer opportunities for students to explore, create, question, and experience ideas in ways that previous generations could only imagine.
Technology, however, is a tool—not the purpose of education. At the center of every successful school must remain the relationship between a child and the adults who believe in that child.
That is why I believe deeply in educating the whole child. Academic achievement matters enormously, but so do confidence, curiosity, character, resilience, belonging, and joy. Children need adults at school who know them, advocate for them, challenge them, celebrate their growth, and recognize when they need additional support.
This philosophy is particularly meaningful at Saint Peter’s Academy. Being intentionally small gives us an opportunity to know our students as individuals while still thinking boldly about what school can become.
We can hold children to high expectations without losing sight of childhood. We can embrace innovation without abandoning relationships. We can honor what works in education while having the courage to change what no longer serves our students.
That is the kind of school I want us to continue building at Saint Peter’s Academy.
Principal Updates
Messages from school leadership.
Future updates, family messages, videos, and articles will be published and archived here. In the meantime, families can stay close to school life through the calendar.
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