Why I'm Excited to Get back to a School

It's the understatement of the century to say that a lot has changed in the past year. For those of us in the field of education, our world has been turned upside-down. Tech is more available with more teachers equipped with basic digital skills than anyone would have dreamed of previously. While it is by no means enough in terms of delivering on the equitable educational experience many of our students deserve, it has brought about massive change in the way we think about education and what it could and should look like moving forward. The obstacle of convincing folks that tech should be an integral part of education has been, for the most part, removed.
​
Prior to spring 2020, I had always taken great pride in my ability to ground my work at the central level in my school-based experience - I taught math for six years, then supported schools with instructional technology support where I was embedded deeply in a school. I felt confident in my ability to lead our use of LMSs and make changes based upon relevant knowledge of what instruction and day-to-day life looked like for teachers and students. I could make solid decisions grounded in reality and think through potential unintended consequences. Then the world turned upside-down. 
​​
I'm sure for many people who have left the classroom or a school-based position, their school-based experience naturally becomes decreasingly relevant over time. Schools are an ever-changing ecosystem with a new environment crafted every year based upon changing staff, policies, priorities, programs, and any number of other circumstances. While many core ideas remain the same, there is enough change each year that it accumulates to a whole new world, given enough passing time. I believe this past year has seen so many of these changes in such a short amount of time that even if you were in the classroom and/or leading at a school for the 18-19 school year, your reference for what the school experience looks like is severely outdated.

We are at a key, pivotal moment in education. While many of us have always believed a revolution was necessary, there is no doubt in my mind that now is the best time to make the changes we have always dreamed of making to our incredibly broken system. I have always been angered by the ways our current system has failed our students, especially those who are traditionally marginalized. I can't imagine how uncontrollably furious I would be if schools see this moment and watch it slip away for the sake of 'normalcy'. And if you know anything about me - I am very motivated by anger. I have learned that the things that make me the most angry, are always the things I care about the most. I don't want to be in an office attempting my best guess at what schools need to make innovation happen and slowly build structures and policies to support that change - I want to be close to the work, at the table where ideas are born and innovation happens.
​
​Based upon my experience over the past 12 years in education and my deep desire to live in alignment with my values, it was incredibly clear that I needed to be in a school where I could help be a part of what comes next. I have always been driven by a relentless passion for educational equity. All students deserve a quality educational experience that cultivates the brilliance already within them while creating an environment in which they can embrace, rather than abandon, their personal identities. We are at a critical juncture in the field of education where what comes next matters deeply for generations to come. To me, the next part of the education adventure story sounds way too important and way too much fun to miss. I am very much looking forward to being back in a school and being a part of it.