Very early in my teaching career, I was fortunate to take a leadership role for English as an Additional Language in a US school district where over 80% of the students had a home language other than English.  Collaborating with other educators in this role taught me how exponentially powerful it can be when a diverse group of dedicated professionals synergize together with a shared plan for the benefit of everyone.  Since then, bringing people together, supporting them, and rallying everyone around a shared vision to build amazing opportunities for kids and communities has fulfilled me for 15 years.

When everyone in the community feels a sense of ownership for the school’s success, the power to accomplish an ambitious vision is almost guaranteed.  I believe that when efforts are made to include everyone and to celebrate pride in the school, a deep sense of belonging will permeate all interactions within the community leading to a shared drive to make the school the best it can be.

I have learned that the path to supporting each student is best accomplished by building and supporting a strong team of professionals.  Extending trust to top-quality teachers and leaders is the most certain way to accomplish results for students and for the school.  I believe in supporting everyone in the development of their skills and the pursuit of leadership opportunities.  More often than not, a school leader’s job involves ensuring the team has what they need to do their jobs well, clearing the path for them to do their work, and then cheering them on.

Bringing a school community together is best accomplished by clearly articulating shared values.  Although the process of setting and upholding values is complex and a lot of work, I have always felt empowered when I can have conversations within the context of values that have been built together, clearly communicated, and consistently upheld.  Through all my experiences, I have learned that a school’s ability to uphold shared values serves to protect the most vulnerable members of the community.

I am ready to uphold the school values and to use forward thinking to get us where we need to be.  There have been many times in my leadership when, despite all the best input and available data, making the best decision isn’t straightforward.  I am not afraid to take ownership of a challenge: ultimately, I accept responsibility.  Sometimes, when the collaboration, data collection, and deliberation are done, people need a leader to make a decision.   It isn’t always perfect, but my open approach to challenges and taking ownership for tough decisions has earned me respect and a reputation of integrity among staff, families, and fellow leadership.  

There isn’t another skill that will make or break a leader faster than effective communication.  Communication is one skill I have developed more than just about any other: when people are consistently listened to, acknowledged, and kept informed, they can handle just about any decision from a leader, even ones they don’t agree with.  As a leader, I know communication is my currency: it is the most direct way to earn or lose trust and loyalty.

Learning can only happen when students and staff feel safe in an environment where their wellbeing is cared for.  I understand the critical importance of a school leader effectively managing school finances, facilities, resources, and connections so that everyone else can learn and work in a stable environment they can count on; with this in mind, I have invested a lot of time and energy learning to excel at this fundamental part of the trade.  A school with clear structures, policies, and expectations is a school where everyone is cared for and treated fairly.

Time and time again, I have learned others have so much to teach me.  Embracing diversity as a school leader means seeking divergent ways of thinking, believing, feeling, living, understanding, and experiencing the world.  As a school leader I am in a unique position to model and encourage accepting and learning from others.  I believe it is a sign of strength for a school when, as its leader, I can be open about the fact that I do not know everything, that we always have something to learn, and that there is always room for us to improve.

My personal experience, my parenting experience, and my experience as an educator have all taught me that excelling in academics is not the most important thing for lifelong success.  I believe schools must be intentional in their approach to developing students’ life skills and global citizenship.  It is important that character education be both embedded and explicit.  As a school leader, it is important for me that our curriculum, assessment, and instructional designs include 21st Century and life skills equally alongside academic learning.

I make a lot of decisions every day as a school leader and one practice that I have never regretted following is careful listening and seeking to truly understand the situation.  I apply my experience with instructional backward design to leadership by keeping the goal in mind and ensuring structures are in place to collect the right information to make the best decisions.  Whether the issue is a minor student discipline case or a multi-million dollar construction project, asking questions, listening, and seeking first to understand the data and each perspective is critical: not only does everyone involved feel valued and listened to, but very often, I learn something that makes me change my mind about how I view the situation. 

I believe that strong relationships are the key ingredient for just about every aspect of school leadership.  By focusing first on relationships with colleagues, the board, families, students, and community stakeholders, the rest of the work necessary to move the school forward becomes dramatically easier.  Intentionally designing ways to build relationships between all members of the school community leads to an environment characterized by mutual respect, shared happiness, and knowing that we are all looking out for each other.