100 Posts in 100 Days
Back in Post 79: Warm Welcomes, I started to tell the story of walking into a school building as the new principal two weeks before school was starting only to find it essentially deserted. As I wrote that post, it occurred to me that this is a story full of leadership and learning. There are so many parts to this story, so it will unfold over the next several posts. First up: the decision to apply for the position in the first place.
Making the Leap
I was on vacation with my family in July. We were enjoying a couple of weeks at a resort, playing in the sun and sea. The PTA at our son’s school sent out an email announcing that the principal was moving from his school to a different one in the district. The school district would be conducting a search for the new principal.
Our family’s first reaction was, “Wow, that’s a bit of surprise” followed by “It’s really late to be looking for a new principal.” The email had come in the morning, when we were getting ready for the day. We went about our morning routine without much more thought and then headed to breakfast.
During our meal, we started to talk about the news a little more. Our son was a rising 3rd grader. “You could be my principal!” he exclaimed, with a glow in his eye.
There were so many considerations:
It would be close to home. But…
Would it be abandoning my current school in the middle of the summer break?
It would be a small school with a curriculum I was experienced in and passionate about. But…
I had successfully advocated for a “field test” of new literacy curriculum in my current school.
It was an established school with a strong presence in the community and an active PTA (National Parent Teacher Association). But…
My current school had growing partnerships in our school community, a parent education program, and a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization electing not to join the national group) that was modeling new ways of thinking about parent-school relationships.
I had never worked in this district. And…
I had worked in my current district for 16 years. I graduated high school from that district. I had attended school in that district from grades 5-12. I had friends, colleagues, mentors, history, in my current district.
Over the course of that day, and the next several, the question of “Should I apply” was a recurring conversation.
Ultimately, and in the spirit of my core value of “no regrets”, I decided to apply. A lot of careful consideration went into the decision. I was well aware that if the opportunity came to fruition, my decision would impact hundreds of people: my current staff, students, and families.
On the other hand, if I didn’t try, would I be asking myself “what if” in the months and years to come? The fear of asking “what if” overcame the fear of staying put. I didn’t want to find myself looking back and thinking, “I wonder what would have happened if I had applied.” I believed in the work at my current school. I believed in the staff and students at my current school. I also believed in me, in giving myself a chance, and in doing something good for my family. So, with my family behind me, I made a big decision: I decided to throw my hat into the ring and give myself a chance.