The Bossy Principal

• match day recap 🩷 residency, here i come!🤘🏾•
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Now that I’m officially a Houstonian, I am excited to share that the third and final year of my doctoral studies will be spent with Aldine ISD in Houston, Texas. For the next 10 months, I will proudly serve as a Superintendent-in-Residence under the mentorship and supervision of Superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney (who happens to be my sorority sister 🩷💚).

This residency means so much to me, both personally and professionally. I am grateful to be back in the South, serving communities and students who deserve excellent, equitable, and responsive learning opportunities. I am also honored to learn alongside school district leaders whose passion, precision, and commitment to this work are so palpable.

As the marathon and countdown to Dr. Coston continues, I am looking forward to experiencing system-level leadership and learning up close, every day, and with those closest to the work. Also, a huge shoutout to my cohort, the unmatched C14, whose talent and innovation toward this work inspires me everyday. After being together for the past 2 years, we are all headed off to residency, expanding our skills across this country to learn, grow, and enhance educational systems for students & communities today and beyond. You all inspire me and challenge me to be better. 🫶🏾

As I have said since semester one, we are on this Harvard journey together. Thank you ALL for your support, encouragement, engagement, and prayers thus far. Please keep them coming as I enter this final leg of my EdLD journey 🙏🏾

May the marathon continue. 🏁

Within 20 hours, I had the honorable opportunity to converse with and ask questions to 3 former U.S. Secretaries of Education. Hearing the insights of Miguel Cardona, Ed. D., Margaret Spellings, and John King further informed my perspective on how policy and federal decision-making are critical drivers of the day-to-day educational experience, and they also determine how effectively we meet students’ academic and social-emotional needs.

Some of my discussion takeaways are as follows:

• Federal funding may be less than 10% of total education spending, but it carries high leverage, especially when it comes to protecting civil rights and ensuring equal access for students.

• With over 13K school districts making decisions daily, the federal role is not to control schools, but to intervene when students rights go unmet and opportunity is at risk.

• What you write down in policy is only as good as the people and systems responsible for implementing it.

• Education is not just a school issue; it is a national security strategy, an economic strategy, and a talent strategy for the future of the country.

• Equity and excellence are not mutually exclusive. In many cases, the greatest barrier to equity is low expectations.

• Leadership in this work requires thick skin, focus, and the discipline to not let distractions take up bandwidth that belongs to students and the mission.

Thank you to each former SOE for their insights and commitment to this work, and to my mentor & professor Dr. Christina Grant, Aimee Guidera, and the for the conversations, opportunity, and learning.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit my former supervisor, mentor, and friend, Toby Romer at . Witnessing him in his Executive Director era was so affirming, and served as a reminder of “what’s coming is better than what’s gone”.

The culture he is building for inclusive learning and community was palpable as we walked all three campuses, and I am enriched by the reciprocal life & leadership lessons we shared, both back then and present day. Forever indebted, forever grateful, forever rooting for you, Toby! 🤎

A sector of my world as a doctoral student is partnering with the Program to support our future educators. As I have begun this cycle’s observation rounds, I am led to reflect on last year’s cycle and the cohort of educators and leaders I coached and mentored.

Being away from schools during my studies, the TTL Program has allowed me to remain connected to various schools and districts in Greater Boston and eastern Massachusetts community. I am grateful for the partnership with leaders and educators in Boston Public Schools, Somerville Public Schools, Public Schools of Brookline, and many more.

I believe it is important to not only remain attuned to the real work happening “on the ground”, but also to support those most connected to the work, whom are our teachers and leaders. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside aspiring educators and prepare our future teachers for their transformative journey ahead.

Last week, I had the impactful opportunity to attend the Council of the Great City Schools () Fall Conference in Philadelphia. Being surrounded by so many superintendents, system-level leaders, and education professionals who are shaping the future of urban public education was both energizing and humbling. The conversations around instructional excellence, equity, and support for our students was a reminder of why I love and am committed to the leadership and lessons vital to improving our public schools.

What stood out most were the authentic and honest discussions around mental health, student well-being, and social-emotional learning. It was powerful to witness so many large districts prioritizing this work and naming the difficult topics and student needs that, too often, go unspoken or unnoticed. As an aspiring superintendent, I left feeling inspired, grateful, and even more determined to lead with both heart and strategy.

There’s such a wealth of knowledge I’m gaining through my coursework at . And, there’s even deeper opportunity for knowledge & connection through the experiences beyond the classroom & coursework.

This week specifically, I was in learning with THE .ladsonbillings (who is also my sorority sister 🩷💚) as she educated us about the education debt & inequalities in American education. She spoke on the destruction of public education and it being a domino effect of the decline of public affairs (housing, transportation, healthcare, etc.) and the public good as a whole.

I also enjoyed learning with fellow EDU colleagues through the HGSE Leadership Exchange Lounge, as the panel shared their experiences & best practices with leadership and entrepreneurship. I especially appreciated connecting with panelist Ariel Gibson and hearing her amplify her faith as a key lever of her leadership, and starting her own school from a grassroots before & after school transportation & tutoring service. Thank you, for creating this space for connection & learning.

“Knowledge rooted in experience shapes what we value and as a consequence how we know what we know as well as how we use what we know.” -bell hooks, Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom

It was an honor to meet and hear words of wisdom from the former U.S. Secretary of Education today, Dr. Miguel Cardona (). He shared several key insights, but three of the most impactful, to me, were:

• How the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education deeply affects students furthest from opportunity: Title 1, special education, rural schools, and EL learners. Why are we monetizing public goods (education) without checks & balances?

• The ABC(D)s of teacher needs today: (A)gency, (B)etter working conditions, (C)ompetitive wages, and (D)iversity.

• The hope & future of education in this country: When PreK-12, higher education, business leaders, and the labor sector can come together and say “This plan that we came up with together to create interdependence? It’s working.” When all students can be successful and create economic stability—that is the excitement for the future of education.

Thank you, Dr. Cardona, for radiating hope & truth in such a time as this, and for believing in public education. And thank you , , and for the opportunity.

I am honored to have presented at the Conference alongside my amazing colleagues, LaKisha Hoffman & Dr. Jordanna L’Esperance. If you know me, student social-emotional well-being is my jam, and implementing Sown To Grow in our school-wide Tier 1 SEL practice has been a game changer. I’m grateful to have a voice in this work & its place in . Be sure to visit www.sowntogrow.com for more details!

Another year, another opportunity. Educators, let’s go change lives. 💜