My Why for Creating a Space Between Extremes
My Why
From Secondary Mathematics to Elementary Literacy
People are often surprised when they learn that my professional path moved from secondary education and mathematics to elementary curriculum and literacy. On paper, it looks like a sharp turn. In reality, it was a gradual and deliberate shift shaped by experience, observation, and an increasing sense of responsibility.
I began my career as a secondary mathematics teacher and later served as a supervisor of grades 6 through 12 mathematics and business before becoming a middle school principal. Those roles gave me a deep appreciation for systems, structure, and strong instructional foundations. As a building and district leader, I worked closely with students who were capable, motivated, and curious, yet consistently struggled to access grade level content. Over time, a pattern became difficult to ignore. Many of those struggles traced back to reading.
By the time students reach the secondary grades, reading has become the silent gatekeeper. We expect students to read to learn, analyze, and problem solve across disciplines. When they cannot do that with confidence, every subject becomes harder, including mathematics. Intervention at that stage is complex and often reactive rather than preventative.
That realization pushed me to look earlier in the system.
Why Literacy Became the Focus
Moving into the role of elementary director of curriculum allowed me to focus on the point where reading instruction has the greatest potential to change student trajectories. The elementary years are when foundational skills are either solidified or gaps begin to accumulate. The responsibility to get this right is significant and it cannot be left to chance, preference, or outdated practices.
My work is driven by a firm belief that all students deserve the opportunity to be taught to read using research aligned, evidence based practices. Literacy instruction must be intentional, coherent, and grounded in what we know about how children learn to read. When it is not, the consequences follow students for years.
Meeting in the Middle on Literacy Instruction
Although I firmly believe in structured literacy and the importance of aligning instruction to what research tells us about how children learn to read, I do not believe the answer lies in dismissing everything that came before it. Balanced literacy, at its best, emphasized student engagement, meaningful texts, discussion, and a love of reading. Those elements still matter.
The problem was never the goal. It was the lack of sufficient attention to the foundational skills required for all students to access those experiences independently. Meeting in the middle means holding onto what supported comprehension, motivation, and joy, while being honest about what did not consistently serve students well. Strong literacy instruction does not require choosing sides. It requires coherence, clarity, and the discipline to integrate strong foundational instruction with rich and purposeful reading experiences.
Why This Space Exists
As part of my doctoral work, I am currently taking a course focused on digital innovation and leadership. The course has challenged me to think differently about how ideas are shared, how conversations are sustained, and how leaders continue to learn in reflective and public ways. Rather than viewing innovation as something entirely new, the work has reinforced the importance of questioning long standing assumptions while thoughtfully examining what still serves students and educators well.
This blog and the accompanying podcast, Meet Me in the Middle, are a direct result of that thinking. They are intended to be spaces where educational leaders can continue to talk, reflect, and challenge the status quo without swinging to extremes. Innovation does not require abandoning everything that has worked in the past. It requires discernment, dialogue, and a willingness to examine practice honestly.
This space exists to keep those conversations going. To question what we do. To hold onto what matters. And to move forward with clarity rather than certainty.
