DHRhoads

I first watched the Starkville, MS School District’s “Believe” video on Kim Caise’s blog. The video captures the essence of my personal philosophy of education. Due to starting the job search process, I have been updating my philosophy of ed. Here’s my opening paragraph: I went into education because of teachers. Teachers taught me academic skills and helped develop my self-confidence. I was fortunate to have teachers that perceived me as capable and communicated that expectation to me. As an educational leader, I seek to “give back” by working to develop outstanding school experiences for all students, where teachers believe in their ability to reach even the most disadvantaged students. My core beliefs regarding schooling include a belief that schools should have great teachers, that schools should be safe communities where learning is of prime importance, and that decision making should be guided by the fundamental question of “is it good for kids?” I believe each individual child deserves the best opportunity to learn that the school can provide. Every child is capable of learning, and it is the responsibility of the school to help each child find success. I firmly believe in the power of schools to impact a child’s life. I am honored to be an educator, and I love working with school stakeholders to make the world a better place one child at a time.