This will be filed under: Black women belong everywhere. I've been selected as the next Elementary School Principal of Achievement First North Brooklyn Prep.
*hits the dougie*
This promotion comes after 10+ years in the game as a school leader and as a school teacher. After years and years of helping kids fall in love with learning by making school fun and magical and exciting for them.
After years and years of leading teams with top test scores in the entire state (some years in the top 20, some years in the top 10, and some years in the top 5 for various tests). Where this led to my schools being in the top 1% of the entire state.
After years and years of transforming different staff cultures across various networks, leading to teachers feeling more happy and valued at work.
After years and years of transforming the student experience so that FUN is front and center of our school. Because that matters. A lot.
After three years at my current network. After I spearheaded turning around my K-2 team at one school in my network by taking us from essentially the bottom of the network to the top while making school fun for our kids. Because that matters. A lot.
After leading the charge on revamping the lower school math curriculum. Not just my current school, but for our entire network of schools (across three states). And leading math professional development days for all the lower school leaders in the entire network.
After not even blinking when the powers that be asked me to go to another school in our network that was also in turnaround. And after taking another team to the top of the network.
Again.
Another again.
During a whole pandemic.
While making school fun for kids and teachers. Because that matters. A lot.
But, as they say, some seasons are for sowing seeds and some seasons are for reaping. I'm grateful that I get to be in a season of reaping what I've sown.
One day I'm gonna write a full post about the "twice as good to get half as far" phenomenon. Because: racism.
And about how white supremacy is one helluva drug that leads to internalized racism and self-hatred. And how it caused another Black woman in a position of power to make slanderous remarks about me and cause harm to me because she was scared and threatened and probably felt as though there was only room at the top for one of us.
And how it almost cost me the promotion.
Almost.
But my work speaks for itself. And my work ethic is unmatched. And people just ended up regretting underestimating me.
If you don't know, now you know...
(He never said the weapons wouldn't form; He said they wouldn't prosper.)
Not to mention that trashy people are just that: trash. And the amount of women (including Black women and other women of color) who rallied around me and wrapped me in love and light? Those are my people.
One day, I'll write about it.
But today? We celebrate.
Now we sip champagne when we thirsty...
I'm humbled by God's grace, honored by this opportunity, and excited to do the damn thing!
I can't wait to hire more staff that look like the kids and families we'll serve.
I can't wait to create a school where Black and brown kids feel safe to take up space and walk in their fullness.
I can't wait to create a school that's joyful and engaging and academically captivating... where our Black and brown babies feel loved and cared for.
I can't wait to create a school that I'd send my own kids to... a school that I needed when I was a kid.
Listen... they ain't even ready for all this #BlackGirlMagic that's about to takeover.
But I am.
Matter of fact: I been ready.