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As we look to wrap up a great National Principals Month, I just wanted to remind you that we celebrate and support you every day, not just in October. The work you do every day for students, staff, and your school communities is immeasurable and should be recognized throughout the year.

You are the architect of your building’s culture, its systems, and its commitment to learning. That’s not small work—that’s transformational. So here’s your invitation: Before the first bell rings, take some time to reflect. What do you want to be true about your school by October? What will you design now to make that vision a reality? Let’s start strong. The blueprint is in your hands.

School administrators must strive to be thermostats, not thermometers. While thermometers simply reflect the temperature of the environment, thermostats actively set the tone and influence the atmosphere around us. Here at 51������, I have the privilege of supporting principals across the state in creating positive, inclusive, and empowering climates within their schools. As leaders, it’s imperative that we set the tone by leading with intention, modeling resilience, and fostering collaboration so that our students and staff can thrive, innovate, and grow.

The walkie crackled, “Sky’s mother is in the office.” I pushed the button, “Copy. I’ll be right down.” I signaled to the teacher I would be back. She continued to watch Sky as he was starting to right the chairs he had thrown. As I walked, I repeated my mantra for hard family meetings: “be credible, be a partner, show love.”

Elementary School was extremely challenging for me. I was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole and it wasn’t working. When I think about those early years, I felt tremendous embarrassment that I would be “found out.” I struggled in all basic education skills. I couldn’t read or spell basic words, math was impossible and don’t get me started on science. I was a latchkey kid from a broken home in a small rural town. I was different, and I felt it.