Featured Principals: August 2024

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How and why did you become a principal?

In my years of teaching, I was always encouraged to take on leadership roles within my school. I've always liked to be involved and help where I can, so I naturally moved into positions that I knew would challenge me to grow and learn new things. In some cases, I took on some roles where others just didn't step up, so I would step into roles that I maybe didn't feel ready for, but someone had to do it! These are some of the experiences that helped me grow and broaden my skills as an educator/leader.

What are you most proud of in your work?

I am most proud of the relationships I've created along with way with students, families and colleagues. One of my strengths is connecting with people and it makes me happy when people feel connected. I love making connections, helping people and advocating for the important work we do in public education.

What are some strategies you use to keep your work and life balanced?

One thing I have done to help me "check out" from work is to turn off my work email notifications on my cell phone. It sounds like a small thing, but for me it's made a big impact on not feeling the need to check my email on my personal time!

What piece of advice would you give a new principal OR what piece of advice have you gotten that has been most useful?

My advice to a new principal would be to make connections with other principals. You need a team of people that really understand your role to be able to support you. If you're in smaller district, you can feel like a silo and you need others to support you who truly understand your job. If you're in a larger system, you have principal colleagues on your team, but it's healthy to have connections outside of your district as well. MESPA has been a support for me in the different positions I've had as I've been able to connect with others in my division and then connecting with others from across the state and country.

Share a bit about your experience on the executive committee.

I was tapped on the should to consider running for the NAESP State Representative position by our current President Lisa Carlson. I am so thankful for that encounter as I would have likely not applied to run had she not encourage me to do. Taking on the role of NAESP State Rep provided me the opportunity to really engage in advocating for our schools at both the state and national level. This is something I often felt not capable of doing as I just didn't have the experience. I quickly found out that you don't have to have the experience, just start doing it and you can make a difference!

Taking on the role of NAESP State Rep led to other opportunities within our national organization and I honored to now be our NAESP Zone 7 Director and on the NAESP Board of Directors. This has provided me with great professional development in how to advocate and it's helped me build connections with great school leaders from across our country. It's been an amazing experience and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in getting involved to take the leap and make it happen!

How many years have you been a principal?

This is my 15th year as a principal.

How and why did you become a principal?

A mentor tapped me on the shoulder to get my license. While I took classes, I got a TOSA position working with teachers. That made my transition to the principalship easier than going straight from the classroom. I wanted to help push for change in education. I believed that we should stop admiring the problems and do something about them. That is what led me to apply for my first principal job. Talk turned into action!

What are you most proud of in your work?

Each year, our graduating Seniors come back to their elementary schools to walk the halls. I loved hearing them talk about how much they loved elementary school. That's our goal! We want our kids to want to come back. I saw some kids I knew very well during our time together. Seeing them return and tell me how much they miss being here couldn't make me prouder. Isn't that our goal? Make the kids want to get in here, not out. Another proud moment was when our school won the National Blue Ribbon for academic excellence. I got to surprise our staff with a huge party. They had no idea! It was their work that helped us get that award. They deserved it.

What's something that's had success in your school that you think other principals could borrow?

We made Morning Meetings a mandatory practice. Our schedule is designed so that every classroom has 15 minutes for intentional classroom connections. We changed our breakfast service to grab-and-go so kids could eat in the classroom during MM. We initiated a 2nd recess so kids could get out and play. I am still a huge proponent of recess first, then lunch!

What are some strategies you use to keep your work and life balanced?

I removed my email notifications from my phone, and my stress level has lowered since then. I love fishing, so anytime I can get out on the water, that is my most balanced moment. Balance is an evolution based on context. Find what brings you joy and keep adding it to your life!

What piece of advice would you give a new principal OR what piece of advice have you gotten that has been most useful?

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Learn to say, "I don't know," and "Let me think about that." Those two phrases have saved me countless times from committing to something or pretending to know something I didn't know enough about. You don't have to know everything, and you are allowed to think about decisions.

Share a bit about your experience on the executive committee.

I chose to run because leadership is needed in all areas of education. I ran for NAESP because we need our elected officials to understand how their decisions affect us at the building and district levels. We don't want unfunded mandates. We want to be at the table when discussions happen, not after the decision is made. Our advocacy is tantamount. Working with the Executive Committee is a blast! You learn more about what MESPA does to support principals and aspiring principals in best practices for schools and become a voice for other principals and educators.

How many years have you been a principal?

10 years

How and why did you become a principal?

To make a difference. Education has always been part of my life, growing up the child of educators in a small rural Minnesota town I have seen and felt the impact that an educator/administrator can make, which extends far beyond the school building. Along my educational journey I was fortunate to have had opportunities to collaborate with district level leaders and committees, starting a varsity tennis program, and leading initiatives focused on developing an educational environment that is collaborative, positive, successful, and effective which ultimately led me to pursue educational leadership.

What are you most proud of in your work?

Being an educational leader is heart work and it's hard work, you can't do it alone. I'm proud of collaboration with educators and community groups to bring in valuable experiences for students. Personally, it's a thrill to recognize leadership and encourage staff to utilize their passions and strengths to impact programming for students. With my leadership team we have certified in HRS level 1 and continue to work on the HRS framework to strive for excellence.

My current school, Eagle View, added an award winning E-STEM program after the pandemic, which has been embraced by our community as well as being recognized at the state and regional levels. Great things do come from tough times.

This past year we implemented UFLI after extensive learning in the Science of Reading and literacy audit. The impact of adding E-STEM and UFLI for students has been powerful and positive.

What's something that's had success in your school that you think other principals could borrow?

I'm a sharer, so if there is something we are doing, please feel free to borrow and then share back how you used it.

When I started at Eagle View a speaker at a conference suggested coming up a motto for your school. EV's motto is = EVery student, EVery day! It greets us daily and is on all of our communications.

Take Catalyst Training with your staff, non-certified and certified.

One tool for communication that has been helpful is the Eagle's Nest which has the weekly events for the building with important notes and links attached. It saves time and keeps everyone informed. This has morphed into a running Google Doc so a staff member can go back and look at prior weeks.

If you don't have a leadership team, develop one. My leadership team sets goals, leads PLCs and are my connection to each team in a large elementary. These cannot be just "yes" people; they are there to challenge, question and ultimately help shape the future of your school. Every decision we make impacts students which makes those decisions even more important.

What are some strategies you use to keep your work and life balanced?

In all honestly this is a work in progress for me. I am working to schedule emails, not check messages when out of office, and be more present. I stand by family first for my staff and am prioritizing my own child's activities as much as possible.

Balance comes from knowing you aren't alone in the profession. Network and get involved with MESPA and in your regional centers. Develop your tribe, I am thankful and grateful for those I am lucky enough to call family, friends, and colleagues (the admin team in ISD 186, Northern Division, MESPA board and my PrinciPALs.)

What piece of advice would you give a new principal OR what piece of advice have you gotten that has been most useful?

The 8 hours we spend with children at school can be the most impactful hours they have with an adult all day. The students at Eagle View are all our kids. Rita Pierson was spot on with her Ted Talk, "Every Child Needs a Champion." Every child does need a champion and a relationship with someone at school. Be visible, greet students, laugh and have fun!

Share a bit about your experience on the executive committee.

Having served as a representative for the Northern Division on the Legislative and School of Excellence Committees during the leadership retreat at Breezy Point, I was encouraged by members of the division to run for Secretary/Treasurer. I thought about it, and decided to go for it. I didn't win initially, but when the position opened during the summer and was offered to me it seemed to be the right time to step in and serve principals.

I have enjoyed the connections, the fun, the learning and most of all serving our MN Principals.  It's been a privilege to work with the Lisa, Ashley, Bret, Kenny, Director Michelle and the MESPA office staff.  The opportunities to connect with other administrators from across the US through the UNITED National Conference and advocating for education in Washington D.C.. These are priceless and invaluable experiences.

I encourage anyone whose thinking of running for the executive committee to do it! It provides a larger perspective and yet is so affirming of all that we do.  Make the difference!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as Secretary/Treasurer.  I will treasure the memories.

How many years have you been a principal?

This will be year 13 as an elementary principal!

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How and why did you become a principal?

Becoming a principal was not something that was on my radar. I always thought I wanted to be a teacher for a very long time. Until one of my mentors pushed me into this role by showing me how my impact can spread even wider in a role as principal and I can still be a teacher. As principal, I am able to to use my skills to not only impact kids, but adults as well. Lastly and most importantly, being a principal of color is something that is very important to me. I get to change the narrative and be a mirror and window for so many each and every day. My hope is that being in this role opens the door for many others and that I am able to offer a perspective that will help us get closer to equitable education for all.

What are you most proud of in your work?

I am most proud that I get to be a principal of such an amazing school community, Birchview Elementary. I do not take this opportunity for granted. I have the best kids, the best staff, and the best families that I get to work with each day. We have a community that supports one another in a way that is unlike anything that I have ever experienced. Our school is a space that is diverse in perspectives and feels safe for all. We still have work to do, but I feel confident in our ability to do the work and continue to transform education for our future. I have the best job!

What's something that's had success in your school that you think other principals could borrow?

Our school continue to work on improving the student experience for our students. We have worked really hard to amplify our student voice to do this. Some ways that we have done this have been conducting student interviews to hear about their experience. We ask our students 4 questions. 1. Do you feel safe at school? 2. Do you have a close friend? 3. Do you have a trusted adult that you can go to? 4. Do you the adults at school help you feel good about who are you? These interviews are conducted 1:1 and responses are recorded by the classroom teacher. When a student responds, no, we are able to dig deeper to seek understanding. Our PLCs then meet to review data and devise plans. This street data has been transformative for our school in ensuring that our school feels safe and welcoming for all.

What are some strategies you use to keep your work and life balanced?

This is an ongoing question for me, one that I continue to try to get better at. My kids are the most important thing in the world for me so spending intentional time with them to do things that make us happy is something that I continue to strive to do. Am I perfect at it, no, but I think taking simple steps like taking your emails off your phone, not checking your emails after a certain point, avoid sending emails to staff on the weekends. The most useful thing that I have done recently is use my vacation time. I use all my vacation days so I can be with my family and when I do that, I truly turn it off. This summer, I am able to step away for almost four weeks and I love my time away to reenergize and get ready to do the work again.

What piece of advice would you give a new principal OR what piece of advice have you gotten that has been most useful?

I once was told by one of my mentors as I began my career as a principal of the importance of the 3Ls: listen, learn and love. As you embark on this principal journey, think about how you can be a good listener. It is not only about what we say, but what are we hearing and not hearing when we are doing with this work. This information is crucial as you lead your schools. Secondly, be a learner. No one of us have figured this out yet. We have tons of learning that we can do from one another. Be intentional about learning with your staff. Lastly and most importantly, we must love as leaders. It is important for us to get to know our staff, students and families and show them how much you care for them. Get out of your office, check in with people, share about yourself, learn about your staff, love up your people!

Share a bit about your experience on the executive committee.

Being on the executive committee has been one of the most powerful experiences that I've had in my recent career. I enjoy being in a position where I can be a voice for our children by supporting principals with getting what they need to lead our schools across Minnesota. I also feel strongly about representation and continuing to get our schools and organization to reflect the population of our state. I know that I offer a different perspective that is super important as we move forward to transforming schools for our future. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead and support principals across the state.

How many years have you been a principal?

4 years