First few days on the job ...

I enjoy my new job! It's the first time I have been "new" in 13 years ... being new is scary and energizing. Being new is made much easier when the people with whom you work are as welcoming as the people with whom I am working. Kindness, warmth, interest, engagement, these are all words that describe how everyone has been: principal, office staff, teachers, parents, members of the board, members of the community. I feel fortunate to be the new superintendent at my school/district. 

I have been visiting the classrooms in my one-school school district. I enjoy that the teachers and students appear unphased by my walk in's, walk through's, and visits. My aim is to get to know the school, the school's culture, the teachers, the students, the teaching, learning, - the whole picture.  I like what I am seeing, I like that the school has a clear sense of purpose, order, "with-it-ness". It is great to be back in a school setting (it's been 5 years since I was at the helm of a school).

I truly feel that I can make a difference in the education of the students at the school through leadership, management, focus, energy, and collaboration. We face financial challenges like most other school districts in Illinois (and the nation), we face challenges meeting the needs of global/digital learners, we face challenges meeting the needs of diverse learners, we face challenges of having to complete the same mountain of paperwork that "big" districts are responsible for.

My first few days on the job have been really good. It's a transition for me as much as it is a transition for "everyone else". I look forward to reporting on the transition over the next few days/weeks.