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One of my favorite parts of this job is spending time in our schools with students.

A classroom visit. A student performance. A quick conversation in the hallway. Those moments are powerful reminders of why this work matters.

But the truth is, the daily experience of students is shaped far more by the leaders they see every day: their principals. And that鈥檚 why I want to say something that probably doesn鈥檛 get said often enough.

My success as a superintendent is inseparable from the strength of my principals. I may help set the direction of our district, but principals determine how that direction lives for students every single day.

This is a love letter to my principals.

Not the kind written in poetry or grand gestures, but one grounded in deep respect for the work they do every single day. Because the truth is simple: my success as a superintendent is inseparable from the strength of my principals. I may help set the direction of our district, but principals determine how that direction lives for students every single day.

The Work You Carry

Being a principal today requires extraordinary leadership. You are instructional leaders, culture builders, crisis managers, family partners and problem solvers, often all within the same hour.

You hold the vision for your building while responding to the needs of students, supporting teachers, navigating challenges and celebrating successes.

And much of that work happens quietly. There are countless moments when you are the steady presence in your school community鈥攕upporting a struggling teacher, advocating for a student, navigating a difficult family conversation, or making a decision that protects the culture of your building.

Students feel that leadership every day. Teachers feel it. Families feel it. And as your superintendent, I see it too. Every great district story eventually leads back to a principal.

The Power of Trust

One of my favorite moments as a superintendent is when a principal calls or stops by and says, 鈥淐an I run something by you?鈥� Those are some of the most important conversations we have.

Sometimes it鈥檚 a complicated personnel issue. Sometimes it鈥檚 a student situation that requires careful judgment. Sometimes it鈥檚 an instructional challenge or a decision that could shape the culture of a building.

Those conversations tell me something important: trust exists. My principals know they can come to me as a thought partner, and not because they cannot lead their schools, but because leadership can be isolating. Even the strongest leaders benefit from another perspective.

A Moment That Reminded Me Why This Matters

Not long ago, one of my principals reached out and asked if we could talk through a situation they were facing in their building. It was one of those leadership moments where there wasn't a perfect answer鈥攐nly a thoughtful one.

My principals know they are trusted to lead their schools. They also know they never have to carry the hardest decisions alone. School systems move at the speed of trust between superintendents and principals.

We talked through the context, the possible paths forward and the potential impact on students, staff and the broader school community. At the end of the conversation, the principal paused and said something that stuck with me. 鈥淚 just needed to think this through with someone who understands the weight of the decision.鈥� That moment reminded me why these relationships matter.

My principals know they are trusted to lead their schools. They also know they never have to carry the hardest decisions alone. School systems move at the speed of trust between superintendents and principals.

Alignment Doesn鈥檛 Mean Agreement

My principals and I do not always agree. Strong leadership teams rarely do. But alignment is not about agreement. Alignment isn鈥檛 about compliance. It鈥檚 about commitment. It means we trust each other enough to move forward together.

My principals know two things about me. First, I will challenge them. Leadership requires honest conversations and sometimes difficult feedback. Second, I will show up for them. When the work becomes difficult (and in education leadership it often does) they know I will stand beside them publicly and support their leadership. I challenge my principals privately, but I stand with them publicly. That鈥檚 not just leadership鈥攊t鈥檚 respect.

Leadership is not about standing above my principals. It is about standing beside them鈥攅ven when the work is hard. And when the moment calls for it, they also know I may ask them to follow my lead. They do鈥攏ot because of hierarchy, but because trust has already been built.

How We Build Alignment in Ferndale

In Ferndale, alignment doesn鈥檛 happen by accident. It鈥檚 something we build intentionally.

Each month, I meet one-on-one with every principal. Those conversations give us space to reflect on what is working, talk through challenges and ensure we are aligned around the priorities that matter most for students.

We also spend time in classrooms together conducting inter-rater reliability observations so that we are aligned in how we think about instruction and feedback for teachers.

And sometimes alignment is built through quieter gestures. Early in my time as superintendent, I gave each principal a book that meant something to me鈥攕omething that reflected the strengths I saw in their leadership. It was a small gesture, but an intentional one.

Leadership is demanding work, and I want my principals to know that I see them鈥攏ot just the role they hold, but the leader they are becoming. Systems create structure, but relationships create alignment.

What Other Leaders Can Learn

For superintendents and principals reading this, the lesson is simple: alignment between district leadership and building leadership doesn鈥檛 happen automatically. It requires intentional work.

• Create Space for Real Conversation: Regular one-on-one meetings allow leaders to reflect, problem solve and stay connected to the realities inside schools.
  
• Observe Instruction Together: Shared classroom observations help leadership teams build common expectations around teaching and learning.
• Normalize Thought Partnership: Leadership can be isolating. When principals feel comfortable saying, 鈥淐an I run something by you?鈥� trust grows.
• Recognize Leadership Intentionally: Principals carry immense responsibility. Acknowledging their work matters more than we often realize.

These practices may seem simple, but they create the foundation for something powerful: trust.

The Quiet Power of Partnership

Much of leadership happens in visible moments. But some of the most important leadership work happens quietly. It happens in the trust built between leaders. In the honest conversations that strengthen understanding. In the shared commitment to move forward together in service of students.

Leadership is demanding work, and I want my principals to know that I see them鈥攏ot just the role they hold, but the leader they are becoming. Systems create structure, but relationships create alignment.

Students may see their superintendent from time to time, but every day they experience the leadership of their principals. And when superintendents and principals operate with mutual respect, shared responsibility and a deep commitment to students, the entire district moves forward.

So, to my principals: thank you.

For the leadership you bring to your schools. For the trust you place in our partnership. And for the countless ways you show up for students every single day. This work would not be possible without you.

Because when principals are strong, schools are strong鈥攁nd when schools are strong, students thrive.