Superintendent & District Leadership

As we kick off a new school year, I’d like to focus on this year’s theme, The Power of One. This theme is based on the powerful impact of one person to make a positive difference in the lives of others, especially our students.

This is especially important in a time when so many things seem out of our control. I captured a few examples from my news feed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed with all that is taking place in the world. Even within the world of public education there are forces that feel that they are working against us. This can make us feel helpless to make a difference.

I personally have to remind myself that there are things that are within my control and things that are outside of my control. I would encourage you to do the same, so that you are spending your energy on things that you can impact.

In the school setting, the power of one person to make a difference in the lives of students is huge. I personally remember a kindergarten teacher that rattled my self confidence at the age of 5, and the English teacher in high school that believed that I had the potential to be a strong writer and she laid a foundation that I still tap into today.

When I hear the term “power” my mind goes directly to superpowers. I have a household that loves Marvel movies so I’ve spent a lot of time in this arena. The first visual that comes to my mind when I think of the power of one is Superman holding up the planet. I don’t expect any of you to single handedly lift the Earth, although there are evenings you may get home feeling as if you have. What powers do you have?

First of all, you have the power to create an environment that is positive and nurturing for students. When I started teaching many years ago, I worked on a team that was filled with veteran teachers. Their classrooms were filled with purchases from educational supply companies, and they spent a lot of time and energy on bulletin boards and copying worksheets. At first I will be honest, I found it intimidating. Then the students arrived and I quickly learned that my team was more focused on the superficial than on making meaningful connections with students. I found their classrooms to be punitive and negative. I made a decision early on to create an environment that was positive and nurturing, and where my students were part of a family. I realized that I couldn’t control my grade level environment, but I had complete control over the environment that I created for my students. A few months into the school year, we had a staff meeting and I remember approaching the principal to ask the topic of the day’s session. He said “Staff morale. Apparently we have a morale issue.” I was oblivious to this because I had worked to create a haven for my students that was nurturing and positive. In terms of superpowers, I created a forcefield of positivity to surround my students.

Some of you may be thinking- I don’t have a classroom. I’m a bus driver, or I work in the cafeteria, or I work in the front office. The reality is that you have the ability to create a forcefield of positivity regardless of how big or how small. What are your interactions with students and staff like? Are you putting out positive energy or negative energy? Are the people you interact with each day walking away feeling energized or drained? Secondly, you have the power to set students up for success. Students come to school with varied personalities, experiences, and support systems. Some students arrive ready to learn, while others have had and continue to have barriers that have made success a more challenging path. 

As educators, you have the superpower of creating a safety net for success for students, understanding who they are individually and meeting their needs. I attended a powerful session by John Hodge, President of Urban Learning and Leadership Center this summer, and he talked about growing up in a high poverty, at risk community. He identified a group of friends from his neighborhood, several of whom overcame their circumstances to be successful adults. He also identified several neighbors who were less successful- one who was incarcerated, one who overdosed. He found that the students who were successful all had one thing in common- Mrs. Dawson, the teacher who saw the potential in these students and helped them find their way despite the challenges they faced. Mrs. Dawson understood that high expectations are important, and building relationships while pushing students to achieve go hand in hand. According to Dr. Hodge,

When we allow current circumstances faced by our students to justify their negative behaviors and low academic achievement, we are simply loving children into failure.

Dr. John Hodge

In this case, your superpower is the ability to create a safety net for students so that they do not fall. As you enter into a new school year, I do not expect you to single handedly carry the world on your shoulders. I do ask that you recognize the power of one person- you- to make a positive difference in the lives of our students by creating a positive environment for them and by understanding their needs and providing a safety net so that they don’t fall, and are able to rise up to greater heights.