How would a past teacher you worked with describe your leadership style?

What is the correlation between your leadership effectiveness and the success or failure of your school?  

My school goes where my leadership goes. Leadership is everything. I am the number one determinant of the success or failure of our teachers and students. If students are not learning, we have a problem. As an educational leader, I will ask myself daily if everyone is growing (starting with myself). Each student, regardless of background or education level, deserves a rigorous education that places high expectations for them along with individualized scaffolded supports to help them achieve their goals. Student learning is the priority.

In what ways do you advocate for teachers in your school?

First and foremost, my approach to reaching educators is similar to the idea of teaching to the whole child (physical health, mental heath, identity development, socio-emotional development, and academic development). I serve educators by considering the whole teacher. I listen to the professionals in the building who are in the arena daily striving for excellence and take note of their needs. I ensure each teachers is heard and I follow through with the needs they make known to me.

Can you explain the science of how learning happens?

When someone proposes a great new idea and your gut reaction is YES! What questions do you ask yourself before deciding to move forward or not? 

• Does it align with our mission, vision, and values?

• How will this new idea positively or negatively affect students? 

• Do I need to solicit feedback from students? parents? staff? community members?

• How will I use my resources strategically? 

• How can I utilize this opportunity to cultivate learning or build the capacity of staff, students, or parents?

How do you respond to emergency situations?

First and foremost, I choose to train in hand-to-hand, self-defense training, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in which I show up and have to calmly and intentionally think about every move I make before someone either chokes me out, places me in a submission, like an armbar, or completely knocks the air out of me with their mere weight and size. 

This kind of training has strengthened me mentally which is critical to emergency preparedness. Deep knowledge and understanding of the emergency procedures at my school site is not limited to me. Our entire staff needs to know and understand the procedures written in the School Safety Plan. Our SSP committee will meet quarterly to ensure clarity of roles and safety measures are in place.

What distinguishing qualities do you possess and how do you see these qualities supporting the community as an Assistant Principal?

First and foremost, corazón. What sets me apart from leaders in this field is that often times they guide schools with armored leadership whereas I come from a place of wholeheartedness and I am rooted in my values and beliefs. I am an authentic person with the ability to bring unity and positive school culture to any school. My distinguishing qualities are:

1. I seek out support systems and mentorship- Having grown up in the country of Panama in a broken home, I sought out support systems and mentorship to overcome the obstacles I faced as a teen. This coping mechanism as in my youth has become a great strength as an instructional leader as I forge community partnerships to promote student learning and boost teacher morale. I can help strengthen school teams by walking alongside new educators and encouraging seasoned teachers as we engage in the difficult work of post-pandemic teaching and learning. Reaching the hearts of the children we serve as a team is so much more effective than attempting to do so alone.

2. I relentlessly seek knowledge and opportunities for growth. I cannot lead others without first leading myself. A school site would benefit from this quality since I recently dedicated time to expand my knowledge and ability to create project-based units of study with High Tech High’s Graduate School of Education and I became GLAD Tier 1 certified. Furthermore, I engage daily in expanding my knowledge through books, webinars, and podcasts.

3. I am mission-oriented and demonstrate grit and perseverance. When the going gets tough, yo sigo pa’lante- I press on. I can support staff by listening to their needs, together working on an action plan, and through shared leadership and reciprocal accountability partner in helping our students meet their personal goals and our teachers gain a sense of camaraderie and teamwork as we work together to accomplish our mission and vision.

What is an attitude of excellence mean to you and your leadership? How will you maintain this attitude? What leadership actions are your evidence? 

My attitude towards the students, teachers, parents, and staff I serve is that of excellence and high expectations. This belief starts with my attitude of excellence towards myself and my leadership. I am an enthusiastic and relentless learner and leader who strives daily to be my best self. I know my worth. I know my value. Therefore, I give nothing less than my best each and every day.

What is your vision of excellence for parents?

We are all on a personal trajectory of growth. Parents are our students' first educators, so it is my mission to empower them to lead the learning in the home. I will do this as an associate principal by holding parent meetings in Spanish and in English. For newcomer families, I will invite them in to my office to share about the education system here in California and what their rights are as parents as well as the right to a Fair and Public Education for their children.
Parents will always be welcome on site, as a matter of fact, it would be wonderful to incorporate a system to where all families invest some time into their child's learning throughout the year. 

What are your top 3 priorities upon returning to school post-pandemic teaching and learning?

1.) Evaluate the socio-emotional wellness status of my teachers, staff, and students by having open conversations and empathy interviews.

2.) Re-establish culture and revive traditions previously in place to ensure our school is a welcoming environment for all children and their families. If there is a need to release some traditions to bring forth more equitable practices and school culture for our students, then we will explore this as a staff and community to develop a shared vision of what we want for our students.

3.) Remember that the whole-child approach is just as relevant when it comes to leading teachers. How can we create a nurturing environment to support our teachers to do their best work with our students.