I had to teach 2 classes, write a paper, interview Sam and Barbara, drive to Greenwood to meet with Dr. Douglas, prepare for a group presentation, drive to Columbia to go to class, present on 3 chapters from the text by Sparks, drive to Towson to make graduation before the doors closed at 7, scream and holla' for all 21 of my AVID 12 babies as they crossed the stage and were handed their well-deserved diplomas, and finally collapse at home. Not bad for a day's work ...
12:00 - Interview with principal(s) :)
When I arrived in Barbara's conference room I was still pondering the activity from our last class. We were asked to make a list of all the things a principal does in a day and collectively it took 4 boards. When I found Barbara that afternoon she had just finished sending out a connect-ed message to all the senior parents warning them that anyone who tried to use the fake tickets that were copied and being distributed for tonight's graduation ceremony, would be escorted off the premises. Not sure if crime investigation was one of our listed items...
I set up my netbook so I could type in their answers instead of trying to keep up by hand, snapped a photo, set the camera to record and started with a heartfelt thank-you for squeezing me in. The lunch I had ordered for them was delivered to the elementary school across the street but thankfully the error was corrected before the interview finished.
I felt blessed beyond measure to be sitting with both Sam, our current assistant principal and our newly appointed principal, and Barbara, our beloved principal of 4 years who is entering retirement as of July 1st. The fact that all three of us had an hour free at the same time was nothing short of miraculous. And their story is certainly one that proves the miraculous power of teamwork and mentoring. For unlike most newly appointed principals, this predecessor and successor have a history ... Barbara hired Sam as a special educator 15 years ago and now Sam has been hired to take over where Barbara left off ...
Barbara: The demands of this job are immense. This is the best job I've ever had but it's also the hardest. I would suggest you find a balance between the consuming job and your personal life. Know what makes you happy and do it. For me it is exercise and sitting on my porch every morning and meditating in a place that makes me happy.
Sam: Flexibility is the key to success with this job. Flexibility is the key with students, parents and teachers. Always be willing to adjust your schedule for the needs of the school. I would also say be ethical in those tough decisions. And don't take things personally.
Barbara: I would second that.
Jodi: It's interesting you say that Sam. I'm going to come back to that idea of not taking things personally when we talk about your journey to this well-deserved role.
Jodi: We are learning how strategic schools make the most out of people, time and money. Which of these three elements do you find is the most challenging part of the equation to manage and why?
Barbara: People. The adults are by far the most difficult. Time is a given - you have to work with the 24 hours you are given. Funds are a given - you have to stay within your budget. But people - they are never a given - especially the adults. Teenagers will act like teenagers - that is a given. But the varying levels of dependability and professionalism you can see in adults is astounding.
Sam: We have a finite amount of time. We have a finite amount of funds. But we have an infinite amount of personalities. That is why flexibility is so important.
Jodi: In your journey to becoming a leader, what was one of the most important lessons you had to learn and which class in your graduate program prepared you the most?
Barbara: First of all, there was no class that prepared me for the demands of this job. But my background in special education is what built my foundation as a leader because it taught me how to deal with people of all shapes and sizes.
Sam: Our special education background taught us how to handle people with a varying amount of skills, personalities, and intelligence. It made me a better listener and gave me patience because I've been dealing with students of varying abilities from the day I stepped foot into a classroom. I learned flexibility early on.
Jodi: What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job?
Barbara: The most challenging piece is finding a balance and managing those hard to manage people. The most rewarding is getting the opportunity ti work with kids and adults to help form a positive culture in a building. Setting goals and realzing the mission is really rewarding.
Sam: The most challenging is keeping the teacher dancing to the same beat ... play video: Another challenging piece is the politics behind many of the decisions. But like I said earlier, you can't take things personally and you have to be flexible. The most rewarding is seeing the kids graduate. Money can't buy that feeling I get on stage when I'm shaking hands with those students or hugging them while handing them a diploma. It is the culminating event that puts all the hard work in perspective.
Jodi: What is your vision for engaging parents and community into the fabric of the school system as a whole? What steps will you take to achieve this vision?
Barbara: I think this is unfortunately one thing I was not able to realize in my time here. There is never a magic bullet but there has to be some way to connect. We have a core group of parents doing all the work but I think this is a universal issue - it is certainly not unique to New Town High. But we are still a new school and that has impacted that vision as well.
Sam: I think we need to do a better job of highlighting the successes of the school and the faculty. If we let people know, showcase those things we have to celebrate, then we can change the perception parents and community have of our school. Be we must get the word out.
Jodi: Sam, you mentioned that you can't take the job personally. Yet our county did something very personal to you and your family. Two years ago you were told you were the new principal of Randallstown High only to be told a week later that you were not getting the job and would be moving to New Town as the new Assistant Principal. I have marveled at your ability to handle that with such grace. Do you feel comfortable talking about what happened?
Sam: I couldn't talk about it then but now in hindsight I can make sense of it. That experience taught me about the transparent politics that take place. You see I wasn't in the pool and wasn't actively seeking the job. Greenwood came after me. It was an honor and I was thrilled. But there was someone else in our building who was in the pool and had a lot more experience and a lot more connections. That person started making phone calls, the flags were thrown up and soon I was told the promotion couldn't happen. I thought about taking my skills to another county; I probably would have left if I didn't have a wife and kids. But my wife's ability to help me see the big picture and to remind me that it didn't have anything to do with me, kept me here. I made sure however, that from that point on, loopholes wouldn't close any more doors.
Barbara: Sam's ability to step back, stay quiet, and learn is what I believe secured him this position. It simply made me respect him even more to watch him handle that chaos with such a calm demeanor.
Jodi: Sam, this is your first role as principal. What do you think will be the most difficult part to this transition?
Sam: I'm the most nervous about Barbara leaving. We do all this together. She has been mentoring me since the day I met her 15 years ago. Our paths have continued to cross and now I'll be on my own. We do so much of our leadership as a team. I'm not afraid to make the tough decisions; I'm just nervous about not having her here.
Barbara: I'm nervous because Sam won't have a Sam - he was the one I could always count on to get the job done and to get it done well.
Jodi: What traditions do you want to continue and what new ideas do you want to bring to this role?
Sam: I want to continue the tradition of the 1st day welcome. That red carpet welcome when all the staff members are out there cheering our kids into a new school year sets the tone for the entire year. The students know that on that first day we are all really glad to see them and are excited to be starting fresh. I think I am going to have to recreate the culture of the leadership team. My role has changed - they will have to get used to being lead by someone who was once their equal. That reality hasn’t hit yet and it won't be an easy transition.
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