Principal Focuses on Students

story by Bob Luder | photography by Molly Kuplen

Abroad, beige sign hanging on the wall behind the desk in her office sums up all you need to know about Mill Valley High School principal Gail Holder.

“Adventure Awaits”, it reads, and Holder probably had a good idea of what adventures awaited her when she accepted the position of principal in the fall of 2020. Jumping in as the leader of one of Kansas’ fastest-growing and most accomplished high schools just as a worldwide pandemic unfolded would be a steep challenge for the most adept of educators.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Holder, the Mill Valley administration, staff, and student body seemed to thrive during the last school year, establishing high standards in classrooms and winning multiple state championships in both athletics and academics.

“It really worked out great,” Holder says of the 2020–2021 school year. “(The COVID-19 pandemic) provided all of us an opportunity to practice problem-solving skills, practice adaptability. It seemed as though the world was struggling, but we continued to thrive and excel.

“I like to focus on the things we learned during the pandemic, such as not taking connections for granted,” Holder says. “People call them soft skills, but I call them hard skills, because you can’t get through life without them.”

With all the obstacles presented by COVID over the last year, Holder says she takes great pride in all that Mill Valley students were able to accomplish. Students were in classrooms for the entire school year, except for three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not only did the school commence with all its sports and academic activities, but Jaguar athletes and academics won state championships in football, golf, dance, journalism and boys’ track.

For Holder, it simply was another of life’s adventures.

“I like to do hard things, keep myself unbalanced,” she says.

Holder has been a go-getter from her days growing up as the oldest of five in Olathe. The family was close and put high values on education, achievements, and maintaining a positive outlook. Indeed, she surrounds herself with positivity in her office at Mill Valley— more signs reading “Make Today Amazing,” “This Is My Happy Place” and “Inspire” figure prominently.

She knew she wanted to be an educator upon graduating from Olathe South High School. She earned an associate’s degree from Kilgore College in Texas and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas. She also earned an administrative certification from Pittsburg State and a doctorate in education from Baker University.

Holder’s career as an educator started at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Kansas, before she moved closer to home to teach dance at Shawnee Mission West. A year later, she returned to teach at her alma mater, Olathe South, where she stayed 25 years before taking positions as assistant director of teaching and learning and as language arts director at the Olathe district office.

The time working outside a school building didn’t last long, however. She missed the direct impact she could make on students and, two years later, in 2018, she assumed the role of assistant principal at Olathe East.

During her time teaching and administrating in Olathe, Holder struck up a strong friendship with Marilyn Chrisler, associate principal and activities director at Mill Valley. When longtime principal Toby Waldeck announced he would retire at the end of the 2019–2020 school year, Chrisler made a phone call to her friend of 25 years, someone she knew would be perfect for the job.

“I knew her work ethic, and I knew she has a passion to do what’s best for kids,” Chrisler says. “We have a lot in common as far as our mindset. She makes people better; she’s going to push you.

“Mill Valley was already a great high school, but I knew she was going to make it even better.”

Holder is quick to point out that the focus of her master’s degree was curriculum and instruction, and that background goes a long way toward describing her philosophy when it comes to educating today’s youth. Take care of the academic part of the high school experience, and the rest—extracurricular activities like dance, debate, and athletics—will follow.

“I want us to be seen as academic leaders,” she says. “It’s like Starbucks. They do coffee. I want our brand to be that focused. At the end of the day, we excel because we’re an academic institution.”

Holder laughingly refers to herself as “a flavor.” She might be seen by some as too tough or demanding. She prides herself on her toughness and insists that students should be stretched to their highest potential.

“First and foremost, I believe all students can learn,” she says. “But how students learn does not always look traditional.

“I believe we have the most important job in the world, but with that comes great responsibility. My expectations are high to move students forward. I believe the trajectory of a student’s life changes without a high school diploma. That diploma is the most important piece of paper a person can have.

“You won’t find anyone who works harder or cares more about students and their education.”

Mill Valley High School, wwww.USD232.org/MVHS