School Leaders' Think Tank

Schools are reopening across our great state. Halls fill with life. Classrooms buzz with anticipation. Educators step once again into one of the most sacred spaces in our society: the schoolhouse. To all the school leaders and practitioners who rise early and stay late, this message is for you. You pour yourselves into this work.

To our school leaders—those bearing the weight of the vision and the culture—I challenge you. Focus fiercely on the things you can control. Don’t be distracted by noise, policy chaos, or fleeting trends. Your most important work is found in the walk-through. It is in the side conversations and the hallway chats with students. It is also in the unwavering belief that your presence matters. Show up daily for your scholars. Show up daily for your practitioners. Walk your halls with far more grace than grit. Grace has the power to soften hearts. It can shift climates and change lives. Anyone can push a plan. Few can love a person back to purpose. Lead with that grace.

Let your decisions show not just your intellect, but your empathy. Your team needs to know that you see them—not just their results, but their efforts. Start the day with encouragement. End it with presence. Empower teachers to lead and listen when they speak. As the school year unfolds, grace will open doors that grit alone can’t. Discipline with dignity. Watch with the lens of support. Celebrate with intentionality.

To the practitioners—our esteemed faculty members, those who stand shoulder to shoulder with students in the trenches of learning—smile often. Greet each child like they are the very reason you were hired, because they are. Invest in relationships that last beyond the test scores. Remember that classroom management begins at the door—with presence, posture, and purpose.

Focus on the routines. Teach the processes. Reset expectations with love, not just consequences. Collaborate with fidelity and intentionality. Show up on the hard days with the same fire you bring on the great ones. Because even when your energy runs low, your consistency radiates something powerful—hope.

Your influence is greater than you realize. The way you look at a student can either lift them or label them. The way you speak can either stir up fear or fuel belief. Whether you see it or not, your admiration, your belief, and your consistency inspire a young person. It is the spark that leads them to their calling. So let it be worth it.

And when you feel overwhelmed—and you will—pause long enough to remember the reason you chose this calling. It was never about perfect data or clean lesson plans. It’s always been about people. Children. Future generations. And even on the days you question your impact, know this: you are planting the seeds of greatness. These seeds will outlast your time in the classroom.

To everyone in education—principals, teachers, interventionists, instructional assistants, counselors, cafeteria staff, custodians, bus drivers, and front office warriors—this work matters. We are the keepers of safety, structure, hope, and humanity. We are the first smile some children see each day. We are their steady, their compass, their push forward.

From my heart to yours: I love you. I support you. I’m praying for each of you. I pray that God would keep you safe. He will light your path with strength, clarity, and courage. This year be filled with moments that remind you why you do what you do.

We are in this together. Stay anchored in purpose. Stay motivated in mission. Let’s make this year worth it.

—Principal Yeager