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A veteran principal’s account of how a D on the state report card for her school became her greatest teacher

The weight of the world crashed down on my shoulders. A mark of D on the state report card was given to my elementary school, the only elementary school in a school district of just over 11,300 students to receive such a mark. It felt like a public shaming. While other schools were celebrating their achievements, their moves up to a B and some even boasting double-digit growth, our school stood alone, a stark reminder of perceived failure.

My superintendent’s questioning of my leadership echoed the doubts swirling in my own mind. Humiliation washed over me, a bitter tide threatening to drown my confidence. I rocked and reeled, replaying every decision and every strategy, wondering where we had gone wrong.

Initially, I was devastated by the state’s low score, which draws on the school’s student performance in math, science and English language arts, academic growth, chronic absenteeism and more.

The public nature of the report card made the failure feel even more acute. I questioned my abilities, my leadership, my very purpose as an educator. But as the initial shock subsided, something shifted. The rocking and reeling gave way to a quiet determination. I knew I couldn’t stay in that place of despair. I had to understand what had happened.