Vision Statement
I believe in community. As a young person I walked across my city of Charlotte, North Carolina registering voters in neighborhoods across the socioeconomic and political spectrums. On a hot August day, I stopped at house in a neighborhood stricken with deep poverty. An old man came to the door and asked me in. “You,” he told me, “are doing the good work. The work of unleashing powerful voices on our democracy.” That day was the start of my journey as an educator—a journey to unleash powerful voices.
If we are to fulfill the dream of a world where communities self-determine their futures, people recognize the inherent worth of every soul, and citizens work together for a more perfect union, then we must provide an excellent public education system that makes our current students our future leaders. We must love, engage, and empower every student, every day.
The charge to love, engage, and empower is to center students and families in our work; it demands empathy and the seeking of justice. It implores us to recognize the latent strengths and potential of every child. This is our work. It is my mission to utilize the time, talents, and privileges I have to create spaces in which others can have their powerful voices heard. In a world full of complexities, flawed policies, and challenging differences, our students are the true north for the path ahead. Our job is to fight for our students—and more importantly give them the tools to fight for themselves. Let the journey begin.
If we are to fulfill the dream of a world where communities self-determine their futures, people recognize the inherent worth of every soul, and citizens work together for a more perfect union, then we must provide an excellent public education system that makes our current students our future leaders. We must love, engage, and empower every student, every day.
The charge to love, engage, and empower is to center students and families in our work; it demands empathy and the seeking of justice. It implores us to recognize the latent strengths and potential of every child. This is our work. It is my mission to utilize the time, talents, and privileges I have to create spaces in which others can have their powerful voices heard. In a world full of complexities, flawed policies, and challenging differences, our students are the true north for the path ahead. Our job is to fight for our students—and more importantly give them the tools to fight for themselves. Let the journey begin.