Synthesis Essay

As I reflect upon my educational journey the past few years, there are many takeaways and learning experiences that I will carry with me throughout my career. When I enrolled at Michigan State University (MSU) to the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program, I was in my second year of teaching and not quite sure what to expect. I had a passion for teaching in an urban setting and felt that passion overflow from the classroom to the community. There were so many issues I saw and experienced, from lack of curricular resources, to staff biases and mindsets, that I left the school feeling defeated almost daily. The passion I had for my students had me wanting more for them and my school building. It was because of that feeling that I decided to focus my educational career on school leadership and administration. I selected my program of P-12 School and Postsecondary Leadership and began my journey of earning a masters degree while working full time as a fifth-grade teacher. My mission was then, and is now, to foster a love of learning within my students and staff and encourage each of them to be the best versions of themselves. In order to do this, I center my focus specifically on leadership strategies, intentionality of words and programs, and examination of oneself, practices, and procedures. The courses at MSU allowed me to dive deeper into these areas to best serve myself, my students, and my staff.

 

Leadership 

EAD 801: Leadership and Organizational Development 

My first course at MSU was EAD 801: Leadership and Organizational Development. After working with BetsAnn Smith, as well as my peers, I was certain I had made the right decision concentrating on leadership and administration. As I was working my way through this course at MSU, I decided to implement my learning through actions at school as a classroom teacher. I began to step up on committees such as our School Improvement Team as well as leading clubs for students such as National Honor Society and Girls on the Run. I gained a wealth of knowledge through both my experiences and my coursework. 

 

I was also able to put into practice the idea of servant leadership. Servant leadership was a term we began to study and analyze early in our coursework. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. This conscious choice then brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant: first, to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? I analyzed different aspects of servant leadership, coupled with transformational leadership and adaptive leadership, to better understand how administrative leadership teams could utilize servant leadership practices to reduce teacher turnover in a low-income elementary school setting. Through my research and the coursework of EAD 801, I began to foster servant leadership characteristics within my school building to plant the seeds of empathy, awareness, and a commitment to the growth of others where I felt that was unfortunately missing. It is something I continue to implement and carry into my role as Dean today. 

 

Overall, of the biggest takeaways I had from EAD 801, other than embracing servant leadership, was the difference between management and leadership. I learned that management is doing things right. Anyone can make the checklists, file compliance pieces, and follow a schedule. However, leadership is doing the right things. When faced

with difficult decisions, will you keep in mind all stakeholders? Will you keep the students,

their emotional safety, and their  academics, first? How will you know what the right

choice is when there is conflict and turmoil within the staff? These are all questions I

consider in my current role as Dean. The difference between a manager and a leader is

important for me to remember. I can  be a good manager, but my goal is to always be a

good leader.  

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Intentionality 

CEP 815: Technology and Leadership 

In the Summer of 2019, I then had the opportunity to apply and interview for my current position as Dean of Upper Elementary. This position was still within National Heritage Academies (NHA), but at another school, Vanguard Charter Academy. At the time, I was enrolled in CEP 815: Technology and Leadership. Brittany Dillman worked and coached me through a mock interview as well as tailored my final project around the administrative interview process. I learned so much from that experience, such as being intentional with my wording, images, and media, as well as focusing on the quality, not quantity of experiences shared. Through my presentation, I shared the importance of having a growth mindset, my successes as a classroom teacher regarding management techniques, and my commitment to the community outside of the classroom. 

 

To begin, I shared that my educational vision began with the belief that every student has the potential for success and it’s up to us, as educators, to provide students with the very best (staff, resources, curriculum, etc.). In order to pursue that vision, I believed that having a growth mindset was, and is, crucial. The education profession is constantly changing, adapting, and modifying techniques and practices. Through hard work, time, and dedication, I would be sure to put best practices in place by refining my expertise and continuing my educational journey as a lifelong learner. I also discussed one of my greatest strengths as a classroom teacher was my ability to manage my classroom and difficult student behaviors. Throughout my time at River City Scholars Charter Academy, I had many colleagues come into my classroom to observe my morning routine, workshop instruction, whole group engagement, and aspects of Conscious Discipline (Bailey, 2015). My commitment and making connections with my students outside of the classroom was just as important to me as within my classroom. I strived for my students to make connections to the outside world, as well as imagine their futures with endless opportunities. One way I provided my students to make connections outside the classroom is by leading our National Elementary and Junior Honor Society (NHS). In NHS, we support our school and community by holding fundraisers as well as working with organizations such as Kids Food Basket and Women At Risk International. Another way to build these

connections was by writing and receiving grant funds for different opportunities. Through

some of the grants I wrote, my students were able to visit Calvin College, as well as meet

Vontae Diggs, an NFL recruit with an inspiring story. 

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Through sharing these experiences and being intentional about my focus and future goals

as a leader, I was hired and able to begin my journey in administration. I often still refer to

that presentation and am always brought back to my “why” on the difficult days.

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Examination 

EAD 830: Issues in Urban Education: Racial Achievement Gap 

In the Spring of 2020, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, I enrolled in EAD 830: Issues in Urban Education. Specifically, the class focused on the Racial Achievement Gap. At the start of the semester, I had very little knowledge of the racial learning gap. I had recently moved to my new position as Dean of Upper Elementary at a new school with a very different culture and demographics of students. Previously, I had been teaching for three years in a school with a majority of the population being African American. There, I found challenges of a poor school staff culture, no clear vision or mission, an absence of community and parent support, and a lack of responsibility among staff members to make some difficult, but much needed changes. I discovered, with the help of our professor, Gerardo Lopez, that through the examination of myself, my students, and school buildings, true change could be made. My three biggest takeaways from the coursework and addressing the racial achievement gap were that the racial learning gap is systematic, prevalent in every school building, and needs dedicated and educated teachers and school leaders to make a change.

 

The racial learning gap is systematic. One piece of evidence I had very little knowledge on and around was the history of the racial achievement gap. I appreciated how this class started with the history of urban education and worked through the timeline of education in America. There, I realized that not only is racism and oppression defined through daily interactions, but it is also defined by a manifestation of historical systems and procedures in our policies and governing bodies. 

 

The racial learning gap is also prevalent in every school building. In my current role as Dean at Vanguard Charter Academy, I am working with a diverse population, but with many more English Language Learners and a higher percentage of Hispanic students than African American students. I’m not sure why my mindset was that the racial achievement gap only/more prevalently affected African Americans. I see the racial learning gap in every school building I examine. I find that not only unfortunate, but also so much more reason to study and investigate the issue. 

 

Finally, the racial learning gap needs dedicated and educated teachers and school leaders to make a change. Overall, there simply is not enough training for educational leaders to help them with identifying individual, cultural and institutional/structural racism. During our class group discussions, we spent quite a bit of time discussing how even at the beginning of teacher education, in colleges and universities, very rarely is there more than one class or seminar that allows students to openly discuss racial inequities and their consequences. It seems mostly up to the educator themselves to seek out opportunities and professional development to gain more understanding and knowledge. The courageous dialogue between school leaders and staff members are important and essential, and there is a lot more that needs to be done to promote and encourage these. 

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Moving forward, I am excited to continue my career in education and learn

and grow more in the understanding of the racial achievement gap. I was

greatly influenced by this course and am eager to continue examining systems

and data collection within education. I am also now comfortable with being

uncomfortable, knowing that true growth lies within thorough examination

of oneself and some of those tough conversations and discussions.

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Overall, the MAED program at MSU has reaffirmed my decision to go into

educational leadership and administration. I certainly count myself fortunate

and blessed to have the role that I currently hold as Dean while finishing my

graduate studies and coursework. I do not believe I’d be where I am today without

the knowledge, wisdom, and expertise shared with me the past two and a half years by my professors and peers. While the program validated my wants and feelings to step into a role in educational leadership, it also challenged me to learn more about school cultures, systems, and barriers. Being removed from the classroom bubble and into a role within administration, I was forced to shift my perspective and see things in terms of “the big picture.” I will never forget the work that I did as a classroom teacher and will always work to implement best practices, policies, and procedures for students and educators in our building. I believe that educators are some of the most talented, dedicated, and hardworking individuals that this world has to offer. My mission was, and is, to foster a love of learning within my students and staff and encourage each of them to be the best versions of themselves. Stepping into leadership is not always easy, and there is a lot to learn along the way, but in the end, seeing the smiles, growth, and opportunities available to those you support and serve will always be worth it in the end.