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#5 Schools are way more fun than offices

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This year,  I made a conscious effort to be at school sites more often. Being present with principals, teachers, and students matters. It helps me feel the work in my body . There’s something almost ethereal about being on a school site; it inspires me and brings me back to the simple beauty of life and learning.  This makes it easy for me to be disciplined about spending more time at sites, rather than at my desk (at least I stand). After all, kids and schools are only open from 8 to 3ish,  everything else can be done on a computer later. (and schools are way more fun than offices) I also had a leadership learning moment around communication. An email came through that I quickly misinterpreted. At first, I felt overlooked on an initiative, and my ego jumped in. I could feel the anxiety flare up—my body tensed, my mind raced, and I was tempted to stay in that story. But instead, I paused, reminded myself to seek perspective, and went directly to the source for clarificat...
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Weeks 3 and 4 - Costa Rica with SJSU Ed.D Cohort!

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  LINKING to the WEBPAGE I created as a reflection on the experience - What Would Paolo Freire Do ? 
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Week 2 - Grounding reflection, empowering action

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This week, I wrapped up my Ed.D. Communications course (taught by  Dr. Deanna Fasset) . The course went deeper than I expected and revealed many opportunities for growth. It also reignited my commitment to disciplined reflection. As an educational leader (or any leader, for that matter), we must stay in praxis: a concept from Paulo Freire, described as “a continuous cycle, a spiral, of action and reflection” ( freire.org ).   This week also afforded me a few days off to relax and go camping. Stepping away from the daily hustle is essential to deepen my self-reflection. It allows me to confront and own the barriers I create for myself (and begin to move them aside) so I can stay focused on my purpose in education, not bogged down or driven by ego. While writing my final reflection for the course, I was able to clearly articulate that in order to influence principals more deeply in my work, I must build authentic relationships and plan alongside them. Without relat...
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Green and Growing - Kick off to a year of reflection as Director of Equity, Federal and State Programs

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  Wrapping up year 1 Interim Director of Equity, State & Federal Programs for my district and kicking into Year 2, no longer interim.  My goal and motto has been  " I will turn compliance into transformation"- a first next step may need to be changing the motto to WE.   I think that is what I have learned the most this year (and my lifetime struggle against my deeply engrained independence streak),  that I can't do this from my office- alone.   Now if you know me, you know I am very personable and always lean into connection.  But it has been hard for me to lead from the district office and especially hard to get out of the office this past year with a Federal Program Monitoring review, LCAP, and lots of district change spurts.    Today I had one-on-ones  with three principals; was able to support them and check some things off both of our boxes.  This is the continued format I am scheduling for this next school year a...
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