PAYING IT FORWARD

These educators share school leadership advice they wish they’d known sooner.

The new school year is right around the corner, opening the doors of school leadership to hundreds of new administrators in districts from Perry to Poteau, Madill to Mid-Del, and all points in between. We asked a few seasoned admins—and CCOSA award winners—to reflect on their own early days of school leadership. Here’s what they said.

There’s not always a right way or a wrong way to do things, but you have to problem solve and work to find the right solution. There are problems that are adaptive and technical. Technical problems have a right answer or a wrong answer, and they can be solved by an expert. Adaptive solutions have challenges that are difficult to identify and difficult to solve, and they need more people involved. Having a better understanding of how to do that adaptive problem-solving would have helped.

Ron Sunderland Principal, Woodward High School OASSP High School Principal of the Year

Prior to becoming an administrator, assure that your reasons for wanting the job are justified. If your reasons are to make more money (comfort), or you think it’s because you deserve a promotion (accomplishment), then rethink your motives. Being an administrator means you have one purpose: To Serve.

Teresa Golden, M.Ed. Director of Special Services, Kingston Public Schools ODSS 2023 Director of the Year

Be resilient, adaptable, and open-minded. Setbacks are a part of the journey, and it is important to bounce back from adversity and inspire others to do the same. Educational leadership is an ever-evolving field, and there will always be new challenges and opportunities to learn from. As administrators, it is important to remember that others look to us for guidance, and we must be ready to help members of our team navigate difficult or unfamiliar situations.

Danielle Patterson

Effective communication is important in most professions, but in school administration the ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people will make or break success as a school leader. Have multiple approaches in your tool bag and work to give each person what they need.

Crystal Szymanski

Education is a constantly evolving field, and staying abreast of new research, methodologies, and best practices is essential for professional growth. When I began, I put my nose down and worked in my space, trying to make a positive change in the ways I knew how to. It was extremely helpful to me once I started to seek out opportunities for continuous learning and professional development, such as attending conferences, workshops, or webinars. I also began to engage in networking with other educational leaders to exchange ideas and experiences through our state and national associations.

Timothy Ray Assistant Principal, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs OASSP Assistant Principal of the Year