October 31, 2023

The new assistant principal, Jaala Lewis, steps into the bustling hallways on the first day of classes. She greets students with a friendly smile, eager to make positive changes to the school. While this is a new chapter for the student body, it is also the beginning of a journey for Lewis, who is focused on goals that she hopes will help Copley High School change for the better. 

Lewis was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She moved to Ohio in 2011 with her husband and son, staying until 2017. A five-year detour to Maryland ended when the family returned to the Buckeye state last year. Lewis took on the role of student coordinator at Shaker Heights Middle School. 

“I was in a teacher’s contract, but [also] in an administration role,” Lewis said. “I didn’t teach any courses, so I really worked to support administrators.”

Lewis originally applied to be Copley’s Dean of Students last year, but ended up going to Shaker. She returned to apply for the assistant principal position because it would be a promotion for her and because she loves the community. 

“It worked really well for my life,” Lewis said. “I knew it was a good school district and I knew my kids were going to go here. I was hopeful that with all of the experiences that I would accumulate from the ground up, I would be able to bring a lot to this position.” 

Originally, Lewis never wanted to work in the education field, despite her mother always wanting to be an educator herself. In a way, Lewis is living her mother’s dream for her. 

“There were two things that I didn’t want to be growing up: a doctor, because I don’t like blood, and a teacher. Where I grew up, I never had a Black or brown teacher. So I just did not see that as a career field that I ever wanted to touch.” 

So far, Lewis feels that she has had a very positive experience at Copley, and continues to evolve as an administrator through her everyday interactions with students. She is constantly coming up with new ideas and goals to ensure that students feel included and listened to. 

Lewis is also a special advocate for Black and brown students. She is the second female administrator and the first Black female administrator at Copley High School.

“If I can count how many Black people are working at both districts on both hands, we have a problem,” Lewis said. “[Copley] is a small district, but our numbers justify that especially in the secondary level. Five through twelve, we should be intentional on filling those gaps.” 

Lewis knows that her job isn’t just to be an assistant principal, but to be a voice to and for the Black and brown students at Copley. 

“My goal is to make sure that my Black and brown students do feel like they have someone to talk to,” Lewis said.  

Lewis wants to set a new agenda for how Black and brown students are perceived at a predominately white educational institution. She is determined to be someone who will take the time to recognize a student’s potential in school while supporting each of them in their individual journeys. 

As the first Black female administrator at Copley High School, Lewis is determined to empower students of all backgrounds and to create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Her goals are to promote academic excellence and to inspire students to reach the heights of success by making a lasting impact on their lives.

“I love seeing people win,” Lewis said. “I love seeing people prove whoever wrong and just be great. That keeps me motivated and grounded. If it takes one person to see a student’s potential and really support that and encourage that, they will 100% defy the box you put them in.” 

“People describe me as real and that I really care like a mom,” Lewis said. “If you need that at that time and if I was in that space for you, then that’s perfect. But knowing that I never counted you out—that, to me, is important.”