Administrator Spotlight

Carol Skiba

Principal, Stagecoach Elementary, Cabot School District

Carol Skiba, Principal at Stagecoach Elementary in the Cabot School District, has been a teacher since childhood. "Even as a little girl, I lined up my stuffed animals and taught school," she says. "When I was eleven years old, my mother sent me to a daycare one summer. The daycare director noticed that I was always reading to the younger children and teaching them how to tie their shoes, so she asked my mother if I could actually work for her instead of being one of the kids in her care! I began working with children at the age of 11 and have been a teacher ever since!" Carol’s professional teaching career started in the North Little Rock School District in 1998 at Pike View Elementary. She says, "I began my career teaching third grade and then moved to first grade the next year. I received my ESL endorsement in 2005 and became National Board Certified in 2008. I moved to the Cabot School District in 2010 and began teaching first grade at Mountain Springs Elementary. During that time, I felt called to work on my masters in Educational Leadership. I became the assistant principal of Eastside Elementary in 2014 and became the proud principal of Stagecoach Elementary in 2019."

Carol says that she looks forward every day to opening car doors and greeting her students by name. However, she says her absolute favorite thing about her job is the relationships that occur within the school community with teachers, students, families, and stakeholders. She says, "I love how we all partner together to make learning an unforgettable experience for our students!" Carol states that the most challenging part is working with students who have behavior struggles, but says "it is also where I have the opportunity to create a strong bond with a child who needs a caring adult in their life. It requires thinking outside the box to find solutions that work with each student who is struggling. So even though it is quite challenging, it often results in building relationships with students and their families that last a lifetime! There is nothing better in the world than to have a student who was struggling with behavior, come back as an adult who is a successful, contributing member of society!” She says those considering the career should know that "it is the hardest, best job in the world! I truly believe that education is a calling and if you are called, God will equip you to do it. To be able to be a part of a child’s education is definitely one of the most rewarding things you can do with your life!"

Over her career, she says she is most proud of her work with National Board. "Achieving this certification helped me to look at everything through the lens of student achievement," she says. "I believe in this work because I saw how it changed me into the educator I am today." Her school is working toward being an Arkansas STEM Model School this upcoming year, and she herself is working toward becoming a designated master principal. In five years, she says she'll still be Stagecoach Elementary, stating "I love serving the families and children in the Cabot School District. I have great dreams and plans for this school and can’t wait to see them come to fruition."

?Q&A! with Carol Skiba

What is the best advice you have ever received?

I tend to take on a lot of projects and then get overwhelmed with all that I must do. The best piece of advice was given to me by Dr. Carroll at Harding University when I was going through the National Board Certification Process. She said, “You have to eat the elephant one bite at a time.” This helped me to not look at the big picture and think I will never complete this, but to break down tasks and complete them one bite at a time. This advice has served me well, as I have eaten a lot of elephants since then!

What might other administrators be surprised to know about you?

I am a 200 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher! I started practicing yoga as a young adult and in 2020 I pursued certification as a teacher.

What is the most daring thing you’ve done?

My uncle was a motorcycle stuntman in the Victor McLaglen Motor Corps. At one of his performances I rode on the shoulders of a stuntman while he drove a motorcycle hands free! It was terrifying and exhilarating and I would NEVER do it again!

What have you done that you are most proud of?

I would have to say my work with National Board Certification is something I am very proud of. Achieving this certification helped me to look at everything through the lens of student achievement. I really put a lot of work into this certification and when I accomplished it, I felt as if I could climb Mt. Everest! I believe in this work because I saw how it changed me into the educator I am today. Because of that belief, I continue to work with teachers who are starting the process of National Board Certification.

What is one of the things on your “Bucket List?”

One of the things on my bucket list is to go on a mission trip. I love to learn about the culture of other countries and would love to be able to go and serve and work with children in a developing nation.

If you weren’t in your current position, what would you be doing?

I would probably have my own yoga studio and would be serving people in that capacity. Helping people find peace and healing through practicing yoga sounds like a very stress-free way to live!

What do you see as the biggest benefit of AAEA membership?

The greatest benefit I have enjoyed through AAEA membership is the networking among educators. I have learned so much from my colleagues in this field. AAEA has given me the opportunity to meet and work with some of the best human beings in the state of Arkansas. Through this membership I have learned to step out of my comfort zone and I have grown in ways I never would have expected. It has helped me develop into the school leader that I am today!