On Monday, Cecil Floyd teachers met our new principal and his family. Coming from Jay, Oklahoma, Chris Bozarth will be our academic leader, starting in the 2016/7 school year. I'm looking forward to working with Mr. Bozarth in the years to come.  Together, we can take this school to new heights. ​I figured I should jot down some thoughts for the new guy:

First, please allow me to welcome you, Katie, and the boys to our family at Cecil Floyd.  I'm excited, truthfully, that you will bring with you a new spirit into our walls.  It's hard to know what to say to the new guy, but perhaps it's even harder to know how to say it.  Undoubtedly, there are things you want to know about the dynamics of our school and the community that surrounds us, but we also don't want to appear to push personal agendas or promote ourselves individually.

In introducing your wife and children to us, standing before us, and interacting with your family and with us, you successfully made a positive first impression on the staff.  The air at Cecil Floyd is electric!

​Would you like to know what we think?

We think you are a family man.  Your wife adores you, and your sons respect you.  You spend time with them, and you have taught them how to carry themselves.  I was able to meet them before shaking hands with you, and they represented you well.

We think you value relationships, not only familial ones, but relationships with your peers and with students.  You like to learn people's names, and you genuinely want to get to know us all.  You want to learn about our students and encourage them to become the best citizens possible.

We think you will bring moral clarity with you.  As a churchgoing family, you understand the importance of good values, consistent manners, and selfless love.  You are a servant.  You are not above getting into the trenches with teachers and students.  You will do all of these things, while displaying an honorable example - even when people are not looking.

​We think you will encourage us.  You are fully prepared to hold up our hands when we are tired and carry us when we collapse.  You are not afraid to express yourself, and you will find ways to positively keep us moving forward.

We think you will not be satisfied with mediocrity.  You will motivate us to break our ceilings and explore the stars.  You come to us with infectious energy, and you will allow us to humbly feed on it.  We want to offer the best experiences for our students, and you will help us with that endeavor.

We think you are honest, that you will not hide things from us.  You will communicate effectively and openly with us, all in the desire to do what is best for our students.

We think you have a sense of humor.  Frankly, so do we.  We like to laugh with our peers and with our students, and we can't wait to bring you into that laughter with us.

We think you will be patient with us.  You should know that we are still getting accustomed to our break from rigid oversight.  For the last year, our district has worked hard to empower campuses, teachers, and ultimately, students.  Such a change requires experimentation with the learning standards and teaching methods, and as a result, we will fail.  While we do not like failure, we realize it is a part of the improvement process.

We think you are human.  We understand that you are not our Savior (or even a savior).  We know you are not our Superman.  We do not expect you to have all the answers.  You will not singlehandedly solve all of our issues and problems. Above all, we realize that, like us, you are a single member of our team, and that it will take continuing effort from each of us to make this school better than ever.

We think you have a lot to learn.  When you change schools, districts, states, staffs, and standards, a learning incline faces you.  We realize this, and we would like to offer our own leadership to you in return for the patience and respect you afford us.  We understand missteps.  It will be interesting to see you develop and put all the pieces together.  We encourage our students to do the same - learn from mistakes - and that's what we hope for ourselves, as well.

We think you will be an effective leader.  Just as our outgoing principal filled some cosmic needs for our school, we challenge you and expect you to do the same.  Our needs have transformed in the last four years, so you don't have to fill her shoes, and we don't even want you to try.  Still, you have already given us the impression that you will be the right man for the job.

Most of us don’t know what to say:  we don’t know how to express ourselves when we experience a loss.  And that’s what this is to us:  a loss.
 
Yes, we understand that you are moving into a new, well-deserved phase of your life.  We are even happy for you, if not somewhat jealous that we aren’t going with you.  The idea of relaxing and doing the things we enjoy – taking care of ourselves for a change – is definitely appealing.  We understand that hard work and intelligence has earned you a break, but that does not mean that we will not miss you as we move forward in your absence.
 
You may remember the first time you met Eddie Gweedle:  it was at McDonald’s on McTeacher Night that first year of you Cecil Floyd tenure.  Four years later, when Eddie says you were “the right person in the right place at the right time”, he is correct.  You came at a time when we needed the right person.  We were a broken school, laid out and opened up like carrion for birds to scavenge, and somehow someone brought you to us.
 
I don’t know where Mr. Gweedle gets his insights, but as quirky as he can be, he understands where we were and what we have become.
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At our first staff retreat, I looked at Cecil Floyd’s leadership and made the statement that this was the right team.  You came to us when we were feeling beaten, broken, and shamed, and you picked us up.  You came to us when we were directionless, and you gave us direction – not with a heavy hand or a dictatorial cloud over our heads, but with soothing encouragement and a positive infectious spirit.  You came to us when we needed unity and love, and you gave it to us without hesitation.
 
It turns out I was a prophet (Sometimes I even surprise myself with my astute and insightful abilities and wisdom.)!
 
On a more personal note, I would like to thank you for your humble leadership, your example of continuing professional study, and your personal coaching through difficulties.  You set a calloused teacher straight when he was off course, you listened with empathetic ears, and you cared.
 
Most of all, you allowed me to explore my strengths and diagnose my weaknesses; you allowed me to develop skills and strategies that would help me profoundly reach my students; you respectfully stepped out of my way and allowed me to teach.  Sometimes those lessons fall flat or fall apart, but I learned from them only because you gave me the space to do so.  I am grateful that you rescued me from the cold hands of micromanagement and trusted me to professionally develop in my areas of both limitation and strength.
 
Unfortunately, space here will not allow me the time to list all of the things I have taught you in return.
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At the same time, you showed your concerns for my physical needs, taking the time to confirm my safety when I had to drive home in icy conditions, calling to make sure our field trips were going as planned during springtime storms, and lend sympathy when I felt the effects of kidney stones.  Just knowing you cared helped me let go of much of the guilt and trouble that come along with being out of the classroom; I knew I had a team of peers who would happily take care of my students.
 
You have allowed Cecil Floyd to achieve its own identity in the district.  No longer are we fighting for survival; now we are reaching for improvement.  No longer are we itching to abandon ship; now we are sailing for the open seas… and only God knows where we will land next.  Our sails are full, thanks, in no small part, to you.
  
My prayer for you is for peace, clarity, laughter, and joy.  If you don’t know by now that we love you, you haven’t been listening.  Those are not the easiest feelings to announce out loud – they often bring tears – but they are absolutely vital, and they must be expressed, even if as ineffectually as I have done so here.