Whitworth Weekly

Personal

My husband, Kevin, and I have two boys.  Miles (9) and Julian (7) attend John Hay elementary here in the Seattle Public Schools.  While I am originally from Texas, I have lived in Seattle since 1989.  I have convinced most of my family to move to the area and we now call the Pacific Northwest home.

Educational Background

I have been an educator since the Fall of 1994.  My first teaching job was at Inglewood Junior high in the Lake Washington School District teaching math and debate.  In the fall of 2002, I moved back to Seattle and taught math at Ballard High School.  During my teaching tenure, I sought opportunities to be involved in decision making.  This lead me to persue my administration certification at Seattle Pacific University.  For three years I was the Assistant Principal at Ballard High School.

I was honored and excited to be hired as the Principal at Eckstein.  This school has an amazing reputation and there are high expectations for students and staff.  This is my third year at Eckstein and I’m very proud of the work we have done.  As a staff we have developed a decision making matrix and our mission statement.  We are currently working on building norms and will begin collaboratively articulating a five-year vision for the school with students, staff and families this fall.  Language Arts and Social Studies have aligned the curriculum at each grade level. We are now working to vertically align curriculum so that we can identify what students need to know and be able to do when they graduate from Eckstein. 

Philosophy

I believe that great schools distinguish themselves by maintaining their focus on what goes on in the classroom (teaching and learning). Instructional leaders who translate beliefs into actions and build in support and accountability into all changes guide great schools.  A highly effective educational system comes from having frank and open conversations with staff members. 

 

Exemplary leaders must not only demonstrate an ability to identify and quickly adjust to the many needs of a dynamic school; they must also have the integrity to do the right thing and the courage to stand firm when supporting students’ rights to an outstanding education.  There have been times the past few years where my philosophy about what is best has diverged from others in the building.  I have learned to be humble, and to step back, listen to others, review my own beliefs, and then make a decision and stick with it. This process has allowed me to develop relationships that nurture positive development by building trust and distributing leadership.  As Steven Covy has said:  “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

To be an inspiring and effective leader in today’s schools, principals need to have the knowledge necessary to make changes that produce real learning and the ability to build relationships that produce the environment necessary for these changes to take place.  I believe that all students learn when schools work.  I also believe that educators want to do what is best for their students. 

 

 

My vision is to lead a school where everyone is willing and able to serve all students and offer them the best options for their futures.  My passion is to build a school that offers students and staff a place to continue a lifetime of learning.