It’s a fun exercise to think about the school I would like to lead because I have chosen to go back to the school where I have been a teacher for the past six years and take on the role of Director of Education. I get to fully engage in the work of supporting teachers in the meaningful work they do with students. My biggest hope for the upcoming school year is that we all give ourselves permission to grow and learn this year. Most importantly, I will focus on nurturing an environment of trust, where safety and respect are part of how we move about this work.
Our school will exist to provide students with a chance to engage in meaningful and purposeful work. We will think deeply about our place in this world and how we can contribute in a positive way. Students will feel a sense of ownership over their school and will know that they work in conjunction with the adults who help facilitate their learning interests. We will engage with the larger community and see how our learning can be tied to the real work of our city. As teachers share their passions and facilitate learning, students will be supported in finding their passions and have a voice in their learning. All students will leave the school knowing that they are capable learners who seek out opportunities to engage in wicked problem-solving.
The school I would like to lead will be a place of growth, trust, and safety. Teachers will feel supported in their work and school leadership will create a space where teachers can focus on teaching and learning. Teachers will have opportunities to take on leadership roles and share their work with a wider audience. The adults at school will have candor with one another in a space where problem-solving is the ultimate goal. We will all add to the pool of knowledge and allow for different perspectives to be shared and valued in our school. We will seek out differing opinions, looking for our potential blindspots as we move through this work. We will engage in meaningful dialogue and seek out the best for all of our students.
Our school will start talking about and pushing our thinking about equity. We will think about the students at our school and the opportunities we provide. We will think about the support staff members and how they participate in the work of our school. We will realize that equity doesn’t mean equal- we will strive to create an equitable learning environment for our students and model that for our parent community. We will change our lottery to get a representative population of our town at our school. We will support our new students and engage in the conversations that will support them in our community. We will never stop learning about how we can support each and every student.