Hey Reader, I'm popping into your inbox to check in—January is quickly coming to an end, but there’s still plenty of time to reflect, readjust, and reset. Today is a day of remembrance as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it’s a moment to reflect on his dream of equity and progress. This is also an opportunity to align our efforts with the shared goal of ensuring success and opportunity for every student. Since we’re approaching the midpoint of the school year, it’s the...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Monday and Happy Labor Day! I hope today you are all resting, especially if you are a principal in New York because students and staff return this week for the SY24-25 school year! Back in August I shared what school leaders need in order to have a strong start to the school year. Remember, to have a strong start you need to be proactive - the fires will come, you don’t have to wait and be reactive. Set up as many systems and structures needed to implement your instructional...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader Happy May! I hope you had a restful weekend, because this month it’s time to bloom. I can’t wait for the May flowers. With the year coming to an end as you prep for step up ceremonies, graduations, and other end of year celebrations, don’t forget to take a moment individually and with your team to reflect on the school year. In April, our affirmation was: “I am preparing with purpose and setting clear intentions, guiding my school towards a successful end to the school year.” What...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I hope you had a restful weekend. Can you believe that we are at the end of March? For many, this is the longest month of the school year because there are essentially no breaks or days off. Over the past month I’ve visited many schools supporting leaders in creating systems for literacy work, learning walks observing student discussions and interactions and teacher questioning, in addition to supporting transitioning leaders into new roles. The month has been full and not over...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend that served you well. Last week I focused a lot on school leaders creating a clear and effective planning process and shared my five step planning process on Instagram Live. It’s one thing to have a purposeful plan for impact, but if the plan is not communicated in an effective way, it will create tensions that will push you further away from your goal. Effective communication of leaders seems to be one of the biggest barriers for...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Happy Monday and first week of March! Yesterday was such a beautiful day in New York. I did some meal prepping and then took a nice long walk, enjoying the weather. My 3 year old daughter, Ava, has been patiently waiting for spring, and yesterday she was able to get a small glimpse of what is to come. As she headed out the door, she grabbed her sunglasses because she had to be prepared for the brightly shining sun. I could only laugh because she is such a character with an amazing...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, How has the week been treating you? Have you had time to reflect about the question earlier this week- Are you thriving, striving or surviving? The journey to leading a school that thrives one thing you as the leader need to focus on is consistency. Too often, inconsistency at the top leads to confusion and frustration among staff, resulting in a lack of trust, moral, and positive impact on students. As leaders, it's imperative that you not only set clear expectations but also...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I hope your February has been going well. This month has always been crucial in determining how successful the spring was. In February this is the time to reflect, revise, and refocus - I talked about this on Instagram. February is usually the time when most schools begin their mid-year huddles and begin diving into their data to make decisions for the rest of the school year and the following school year. This includes hiring plans, budgeting and resource allocation, programming...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to reflect and wrap up January. Yes, that’s right, the first month of 2024 comes to an end this week. January for me was a time and period of observation. 2023 was another year of transition and my main prayer was to focus on stability moving into 2024. So during this month, I observed my commitments, my energy, my time for myself, my time for my family and friends, my time for my business, and my time within my career. I was forced to...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read