Leadership Team

Principal

Molly McCabe is the new principal at Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology. In this role, McCabe will establish and maintain the school’s philosophy and educational programs consistent with the mission set forth by Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS).

McCabe embodies the ACPS mission and vision. She is passionate about creating equitable, high-achieving and collaborative learning spaces. McCabe began her teaching career in 2004, including preschool through fifth grade, and then started at ACPS in 2014. Before becoming an administrator, McCabe was a second grade teacher and team leader at John Adams Elementary School. Prior to her teaching career, she worked for the national non-profit Break Away, an organization focused on social justice, collaboration and leadership. She received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Florida State University and her graduate degree in educational leadership from Old Dominion University (ODU).  

McCabe began her administrative career in 2021 as the assistant principal at the Early Childhood Center (ECC) located at John Adams where it was her mission to welcome and affirm families, celebrate the rich diversity within the community and empower our youngest students as they grow and learn. While serving as an administrator, McCabe served as pre-K summer learning principal. In the 2023-24 school year, she was also awarded the ACPS Vision, Integrity and Passion (VIP) Award in which she was recognized for outstanding leadership in family engagement. At ECC, McCabe created the Family School Alliance that invited families to join with ECC school leadership and staff to work together to improve family engagement. Examples of McCabe’s leadership in family engagement included working with families to plan and implement community events, building family capacity to advocate for their children and encouraging families to create supportive relationships with each other both in and out of the school building. 

McCabe has prioritized student learning and well-being, recognizing that high-quality early childhood education is done as a team, with families, teachers, staff and administration working together. McCabe is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive academically, socially and emotionally. She is committed to being visible, supportive and fostering strong partnerships with students, staff, families and the broader Cora Kelly community. 

McCabe has over 20 years of teaching experience from pre-K to adult learners across the southeastern United States. 

Assistant Principal

Ms. Milliken joined Cora Kelly in 2024 as Assistant Principal after serving as Assistant Principal of the Alexandria City High School International Academy. Prior to joining ACPS, she spent 16 years of serving multilingual learners as a teacher, department chair, curriculum writer, instructional coach, and program administrator. She specializes in supporting teachers in the implementation of best instructional practices, has worked with teachers to support diverse learners, and created structures to increase on-time graduation for students. Ms. Milliken is fluent in Spanish and looks forward to working with the students, family, and community of Cora Kelly.

Ms. Milliken earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill studying Spanish and Communication.  She earned her M.Ed. from George Mason University specializing in Multilingual and Multicultural Education, and earned her Certificate in Leadership and Supervision from The George Washington University.