Chelsea Public Schools

Rigor Should Never Be Separate

My experience with multilingual learners is very personal.

I was a multilingual learner myself when I immigrated to the U.S., at age 21. I also began my career in education as a paraprofessional and later as an ESL teacher. That has shaped the way I think about instruction and leadership.

One of the biggest things I try to reinforce with teachers is that language development is not separate from rigorous instruction. Students should have access to challenging content while also getting the language support they need to engage with it. That means being intentional about opportunities for students to talk, explain their thinking, write and learn from one another.

It has also made me very conscious of over-scaffolding. Support should help students become more independent, not make them dependent on adults.

I want teachers constantly asking, “What can this student already do, and what is the next support that will help them do more on their own?”

Students Need Support and Challenge

I have learned that support and high expectations have to exist together. Sometimes, with the best intentions, we can lower expectations for students who are learning English, have disabilities, or need behavioral support. I think true inclusion means students feel that they belong while also knowing that the adults around them believe they are capable of meaningful, challenging work.

Culture also cannot depend on one teacher or one administrator. You have to build systems and shared expectations that students experience throughout the school. Relationships matter tremendously, but so do consistency, clear routines, student voice, family partnership and adults working together.

For me, the goal is for a student to feel, “The adults here know me, they will help me when I need it and they expect me to grow.”

Know the Problem First

I usually start with the question, ‘what problem are we trying to solve?’

Schools can easily get caught up in adopting the newest program or strategy without being clear about why we need it. I want to understand the need first, look at the evidence and then think about how the approach fits with what teachers are already doing. I also pay attention to what it asks of students. Does it increase student thinking, independence, discussion and ownership of learning? Or does it simply add another layer for teachers to manage?

Whenever possible, I prefer to start small, learn from implementation, listen to teachers and students and adjust before expanding something school-wide.

Coherence Protects Teacher Focus

I think one of our biggest challenges is creating coherence for teachers.

Schools are constantly responding to new expectations, new programs, new data, new technology and changing student needs. Each individual initiative may make sense, but when everything becomes a priority, teachers can feel like they are constantly starting over.

A principal has to help connect the pieces. Sometimes leadership means introducing something new, but sometimes it means saying no, slowing down, or giving people the time to get better at what we have already committed to.

Teachers need clarity about what matters most and enough space to do that work well.

Stay Close to Classrooms

Stay close to students, teachers and classrooms. Leadership can quickly become consumed by meetings, emails, budgets, schedules and problems that need immediate attention. Those things are part of the job, but they cannot become the job.

Ask a lot of questions. Listen before deciding. Be clear about what you believe about students and learning, because those beliefs will eventually show up in the decisions you make.

I would also tell future leaders that relationships and accountability are not opposites. You can care deeply about people while still being clear about expectations. In fact, I think people deserve both.

Finally, be willing to change your mind. Some of my best learning as a leader has come from realizing that my first solution was not the right one and listening to the people closest to the work.