Educational+Vision+Statement

“Get your education. It is free and once you have it no one can take it away from you,” my grandfather, a man who only has an eighth grade education, has repeated to me a thousand times. These words once motivated me as a student, and have now shaped my philosophy as an educator and as a leader.

In its purest form, education is free and once obtained it cannot be taken away; however, obtaining that an education is a journey that can be made more difficult by factors such as race, gender or one’s place in society; this is painfully evident in our schools and communities in the rural northeast region of North Carolina. I believe that every student should have the same resources and opportunities to learn at the highest level of effectiveness regardless of the demographics that define them.

I believe a successful school and its leader must commit to a number of core values: set high expectations, establish a clear and focused vision, open strong lines of communication, serve as the standard of instructional leadership, implement procedures to ensure time on task, monitor progress constantly, and create an orderly-safe environment.

As a stakeholder, school leaders have the unique but challenging opportunity to impact faculty, staff, students and families. To be an effective leader, principals need to model these core values and act as the foundation on which these values are set. I believe administrators need to set high expectations for student achievement and for staff success, which should be established in a clear and focused vision. School leaders must set the standard for community and family involvement by actively seeking out parents, businesses and civic groups. Equally as important, I believe that administrators must be visible and should monitor teacher progress continuously, while encouraging collaboration. Throughout my time as a Northeast Leadership Academy Fellow, I am gaining the skill set and knowledge to become a school leader who embodies these core values to have a positive impact on our students.

I am passionate about facilitating change, not just among rural students, but also throughout their community: their teachers, their families and their friends working together to create a path for students to obtain a quality education. An education that once obtained will not be taken away, but will empower them regardless of society’s labels. Education is free, but I believe nothing else is predetermined.