Let me take an opportunity in this blog to quickly share seven reasons why my job is so exiting and rewarding. These seven reasons vary greatly and can only be explained by sharing some of the differences between them. These sources of excitement are people – they are the seven principals that I work with every day. I work with three separate schools, each of which has a set of principals that provide outstanding leadership to their faculty and staff.
Because of a major shift in the structure of our organization during this past school year, four of the seven principals find themselves in brand new positions. These fours are now completing their first full school year as principals, although all of them have been part of the system in some other role. It has been special to see these leaders come to the plate and suit up into the uniform of the principalship. The new clothes fit them well and they have filled big shoes without missing a step.
Both of the high school principals are new, as is the only assistant high school principal in the system. One of these new principals is Brent - a teacher in the system and an assistant high school principal for several years. His transition to the principalship was seamless as he worked closely with the retiring principal the last half of the 2010-2011 school year. He has brought with him innovated ideas and a zeal for excellence. His love for technology has brought many new ways of assessment, curriculum presentation, creative parent communication, and faculty motivation. He is a blue chipper and a top shelf administrator.
Not only having a new principal in Brent, the school was faced with a transition for his old position – assistant principal. After much prayer and consideration, the perfect replacement was found. Jenny brings a sense of freshness and yet experience to the office; she was a former faculty member that had the respect and admiration of her colleagues; she possesses a common zeal with Brent for technology and a thirst for excellence both academically and spiritually. How important it is for the principal and the assistant to be on the same page. These two seem to write every other word on each line of the page. There is a balanced, sharing of responsibility - Brent and Jenny provide a united front that creates a stability and confidence needed at the high school level.
The other high school in the system also has a new principal, Joe. Joe took over the reigns of the school in January of 2011. Joe is very effective as a leader although he provides oversight in a much different approach than Brent. Joe's sensitivity for people and his desire for a family-oriented culture allows him to use his giftedness in unique ways. His easy going personality and calming effect in the midst of tension has enabled him to bring a sense of peace to the faculty, students and parents. He is able to delegate responsibility to others and provide them with proper empowerment to get the job done. Joe grants trust and builds trust in others.
The fourth new principal is the head of our homeschool program. Tara is the least experienced of the new principals but she has such a teachable spirit and wonderfully contagious enthusiasm for what she is doing. I have been amazed to see her growth as a professional. Her confidence has risen...her direction has sharpened...her vision has focused... and her passion for homeschooling has increased. Her drive toward excellence is exciting to watch and her humility makes her such a joy to be around. The homeschool parents appreciate her, the homeschool students love her, and the homeschool coordinators respect her. I am expecting her program to explode with additional enrollment in the coming year.
Three veteran principals serve in the system. They provide a great sense of history and a platform of stability on which we continue to build toward the fulfillment of our mission. Rita, who is retiring after this school year, has been an elementary principal for many years at one of the campuses. Her expertise in early childhood education has laid a foundation of leadership that will last for years to come. Her understanding of preschool requirements and regulations has resulted in a strong feeder program for the K-12 system. Her wealth of experience and professional background brings a richness to the administrative table.
Natalie also serves as an elementary principal in the system. Having formerly served as an elementary teacher in her building, she brings such a tender heart for the classroom. She understands and empathizes with the day-to-day challenges that face her faculty members. Her heart beats for the students that enter the doors of the school every day. Natalie possesses such a keen sense of fairness and her demeanor always reflects her balance between discipline and mercy... between rules and grace...between structure and exception. Her boat is always ship-shape, but her sails are continually filled with the fresh air of enthusiasm and cooperation.
Rich, the middle school principal, has been part of the school system for over 30 years. He has a deep love for his teachers and tries to bring their perspective into every discussion we hold at an administrative level. He possesses those special qualities that one must have in order to work with middle school students: a strange sense of humor, a genuine love for the pre-adolescent mind, patience that is measured in gallons, and a consistency of law-enforcement mixed with large doses of encouragement.
These seven reasons (Brent, Jenny, Tara, Joe, Rita, Natalie and Rich) are part of why my job is so exiting and rewarding. They are my friends, my co-workers, my colleagues and my kindred spirits. I am so happy to run the race with these great people. So many of the qualities of excellent leadership are found in these seven principals.
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