When I entered graduate school I had very clear goals in mind, and no one could tell me any different. My mission was to become the most knowledgeable Director of Mathematics in the state of Louisiana, and hopefully become a Chief Academic Officer for the organization I was a part of. My graduate degree was a catalyst to making a broader impact as a senior leader. From my experiences in the education world, a person with strong knowledge about the content was able to make more strategic decisions about curriculum, teacher staffing, assessments, and overall programming across a small network of schools.
In the short term, I hoped to make a significant impact on students through my learnings as a graduate student. I took an alternative certification route to teaching and desired the opportunity to gain some additional content expertise around mathematics through the program. I hoped to dive deep into mathematical concepts so that I could make clear connections across standards. My goal in becoming a math expert was to support teachers in the classrooms as I did observations and co-taught specific lessons alongside teachers whom I supported.
Fast forward two years, and my entire perspective has shifted on who I want to become professionally. My goals shifted because of the experiences I had in my previous organization, including a switch to become interim principal when I was ill prepared to take on the role. I learned so much in that time and recognized the need for leaders who have time to develop themselves in all aspects of the role (academics, discipline, budgets, change management). In those few months, I also saw firsthand how a lack of content knowledge can negatively impact students in the classroom. I had a school with many teachers who did not possess the mathematical understanding needed to address students in the moment, and I unfortunately did not have the capacity to build their understanding as quickly as was needed.
Therefore, I am no longer searching for advancement on the academic side of education, and instead hoping to advance others as I recruit principals to participate in a residency program and ultimately lead schools. Now I am incredibly passionate about building sustainable work environments and increasing the equity in hiring/training practices in organizations that ensure people of all backgrounds and ethnicities are set up for success in leadership roles.
While I am not exactly sure how my graduate school learnings will support my newfound purpose, I am grateful for all of the learning I’ve had. The diversity in perspective I get to experience as a graduate student has been powerful for me as I’ve shifted my goals. I look forward to being able to refer back to my graduate school experience as I review applications of candidates who need to demonstrate their content expertise to move forward in the hiring process I manage as Regional Director of Leader Recruitment!