Superintendent Year 3 (Transition 2.0)
During my vote to hire for my second superintendent position I was asked by a reporter if I was going to continue to blog… Yes! I have been truly grateful for the positive responses and those who have shared my journey has helped and/or inspired them. I will continue to share my lived experience as a superintendent as I continue to learn and grow in my role.
I hope this post inspires excellence in someone. Enjoy!
I hope everyone has had a great start to their school year. Regardless of how many years I have worked in education, the beginning of a new years brings me so much joy every year. In this blog I’d like to share my experience as it relates to my transition from one district to another.
Now believe it or not, I was not actively looking for a new position, my focus was truly on my district, Buna ISD. I had just completed year two and was gearing up to take on my third year. I had been approached by employees, employers and recruiters from varying districts. (Remember, people are always watching you and you are always interviewing even when you think you are not). When they reached out I was thankful and humbled, but I was good. However, when I saw Waco ISD was open I had to truly consider this opportunity. What people may not know is that I was watching that district five years ago. I was intrigued by the location, the demographics, and the community. (One thing I learned years ago - keep your thoughts and dreams to yourself, even if you are only considering it. When you achieve your goals and dreams privately they will eventually be shared publicly).
What I did not know coming into this year, is that my work in Buna was building a foundation for a role that would be coming to me much sooner than I expected. Throughout my career and personal life, my prayer has always been for God to open the door to where I am meant to be and close it if I am not meant to be there. I have always put my faith first in all decisions no matter how big or small. Well, this door to this position was opened and I felt so positive through every step of the process. When I met and interviewed with the board I made sure I interviewed them as well because I knew they would be my new partners in this work. I watched and I asked questions to verify if they were aligned to what they projected through their socials. To me it was about the collective goals and vision for the district, I needed to know if we would align also. Going through the process was great but it was hard. What I mean by that was it was mentally time consuming. I had a current superintendent job, I was driving about five hours each way, and I was (and still am) training for a marathon. Although all of this was happening, and fast, I had so much peace which served as my confirmation of this is where I needed to be.
After being named lone finalist I started working double duty. I did not want to leave my former district in a bind. I took the time to make sure the transition was as smooth as possible for them. I even delayed my start to my new role because it was best for Buna at the time. Yes, there was excitement but there was also a sense of sadness leaving a place and people who took care of me, supported me and partnered with me as we served our community. There were so many emotions. During this transition there were two sets of everything - boards, leadership teams, staff, communities and more who wanted my time and attention. I truly had to navigate both during the 21 day waiting period. However, everyone and everything worked out smoothly.
As I have completed my first three weeks in my new role I have been truly humbled, thankful and blessed. I have received so much love from my previous district and even more from my new district. There has truly been an outpouring of love and support. There are so many people throughout the community, the city and district who are champions for this work and for me. I truly cannot put it into words. With the campus and department visits, the one on one meetings, the business and community partner meetings it has been a whirlwind, exponentially. Oh, and I bought a house, I’m closing on the other one too, and there is still that 26.2 miles that is around the corner (updates on that in my #RunningSupt blog). Navigating the job, the moves, realtors (because there are two), lenders, and more I have truly had to stay organized and truly keep my priorities. (I have shared about those previously and I promise you if I did not have my priorities in line I could have or even should have lost my mind in this process). And a side note, thank you to my parents and my spicegirls. They have been my rock to help me get everything done with this transition so I could focus on my new role. Eternally thankful for them!
What I would say to anyone who will listen is do not be afraid to take the next step. I went back and forth about applying for various reasons. In the end I am glad I did. Will this be more work, yes possibly, will this be different work, yes maybe, but will it be worth it? Absolutely! I am extremely excited about this new journey and opportunity to continue serving and leading. I will continue to give back to the community, partner with our city, and work to ensure each and every student we serve has access and opportunity to achieve their full potential. I am passionate about public education and I know that we will make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Continue to #InspireExcellence
