Linking Leaders PodCASt
Linking Leaders PodCASt features candid conversations with top educational leaders who come together to share experiences and explore pathways to success. In each episode, we engage with dynamic leaders to uncover real-life stories, practical strategies and bold insights on timely and relevant topics. Listen up to link up and let us help you expand your network of innovation and support!
Linking Leaders PodCASt
Inclusive Leadership and Self-Care: Insights from Award-Winning Principal Scott Jeffrey
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Discover the secrets behind building an inclusive and supportive school community from none other than Scott Jeffrey, the 2024 Connecticut Association of Schools Elementary Principal of the Year. Scott’s leadership journey at Highland Elementary School is nothing short of inspiring, and he shares the strategies that have made a profound impact on his students and staff. From fostering strong relationships to implementing shared decision-making, Scott’s approach to leadership is rooted in compassion and respect.
Building Inclusive School Communities Through Leadership
Speaker 1Hi and welcome to the Linking Leaders Podcast . Linking Leaders Podcast features candid conversations with top educational leaders who come together to share experiences and explore pathways to success . In each episode , we engage with dynamic leaders to uncover real-life stories , practical strategies and bold insights on timely and relevant topics . Listen up to Link Up and let us help you expand your network of innovation and support .
Speaker 2Welcome to the Linking Leaders Podcast . I am your host , Dr Alicia Bowman , and today I'll be chatting with Scott Jeffrey , who was recently named the 2024 Connecticut Association of Schools Elementary Principal of the Year . Scott is the principal of Highland Elementary School in Cheshire , Connecticut . Highland , the largest of the four elementary schools in Cheshire , serves approximately 890 students in grades K through 6 and is growing by the day . Scott , it's my pleasure to welcome you to the Linking Leaders podcast .
Speaker 3Thank you , alicia , it's a pleasure to be here .
Speaker 2So , scott , to get us warmed up today , what qualities have led to your successful career as a school leader ?
Speaker 3Wow , that's a really great question , and I think one of the things that I've tried to do throughout my career as a school leader Wow , that's a really great question , and I think one of the things that I've tried to do throughout my career as an administrator and even a teacher is always keep students first and look through the lens of what's in the best interest of the kids that I'm serving , whether it's in the classroom or the whole school , making sure that all decisions are really grounded first and what's best for students .
Speaker 3In addition to that , I think you know I've always had the philosophy that relationships matter , and having close relationships with our families , our community , our students , staff , is essential , you know , and I think that helps to build connection with our stakeholders and build just that relationship where we can work together in the best interest of the kids . And then the other thing is , you know , treat everyone like they're important and I think that's really one of the pieces of advice that I learned a long time ago but everyone should be treated as if they're the most important person in the room , and I try to listen , and listen carefully to what they're saying , so that we can work together .
Speaker 2Well , I had the good fortune to come to your school on Valentine's Day actually to give you and your school community the School Climate Award , and that love and that feeling that relationships matter was certainly present in the room , so I can attest that you definitely lead with those core values .
Speaker 3Thank you .
Speaker 2As I read your press release and spoke to colleagues about your leadership , a theme emerged around your ability to develop an inclusive school community where all members feel valued and cared for and supported . Scott , can you share a specific example of a leadership strategy that demonstrates your commitment to building a positive school culture ?
Speaker 3Sure , you know I think it's important , first and foremost , that I'm listening to what people are saying .
Speaker 3It's a very simple strategy probably in life but also in leadership is on listening to what people are saying in your community so that you can really gain a strategy or gain a perspective in how you want to move forward .
Speaker 3Seeking opinions from various stakeholders is really important . You know we have various committees within our school community that I look to them to get their advice , their opinions , and we work together to build a community and build the things that we're working on . So , for example , I have a principal's advisory committee made up of representatives from our teacher staff and I look to them to provide me with feedback and various things and also to help me with the strategic initiative for the year . So a lot of the work that we're going to do for the year is based on what we do together . In addition , we have a safe school climate committee and I also include parents on that committee because I want to know how they feel about things related to school safety and the climate that we have . So , seeking the opinion of many , providing opportunities for committees so that people can participate in the leadership process and sharing that leadership with many is , I think , really important providing an inclusive environment .
Speaker 2And that's some of the fun of leadership , right ? Having those conversations and sitting around the table and that shared decision making . That's some of those best moments , not leading alone . So , scott , of the roughly , I guess now we should just say 900 students , right , we'll round it up . Of the roughly , I guess now we should just say 900 students , right , we'll round it up . About 27% of those students are identified as high needs , and so , therefore , highland , we know , is the home of some very specialized programming for the students of Cheshire . Upon reflection , what have you learned about leadership , you know , as a result of this gift of housing , these specialized programs , you know as a result of this gift of housing these specialized programs .
Speaker 3So you know , I think the most important thing is always looking through that lens of equitable access , that all students have the right to high quality education , and so every program that we do is really centered around how do we provide everyone access to these opportunities that we're ? We're really blessed in a place like Cheshire we're given these opportunities to include so many . So one example is our intensive ed program . We have a program here we house it here at Highland for the district for kids with intellectual disabilities . So within the program we try to include the students in everything that we do and as much as possible . So areas like specials or recess and lunch , and every student is assigned to a home room so they're part of the morning meeting process and building connections and relationships . So not only is it great for our students with intellectual disabilities , but it's also great for our typical students disabilities , but it's also great for our typical students that develops behaviors and habits such as compassion and understanding and really gaining connection with students . That not only in the school but also outside of the school .
Speaker 3We're seeing some of the kids of various groups meeting up and getting together in different settings . You know , one of the examples that always stands out to me is one of the students in our school with intellectual disability included in our chorus concert . So we support our students in special events like chorus or band or the play , and provide the appropriate supports for them to be able to participate in those programs . Left us or middle school who's been in the band for the last couple of years , who was part of the intensive ed program , supported at every practice or every lesson and every full band and every performance with an instructional assistant or an OT , someone can help guide that person towards a successful experience , and so that's been some of the things that I've really enjoyed with that . It really lifts the whole community , that's for sure . And so that's been some of the things that I've really enjoyed with that Wonderful .
Speaker 2It really lifts the whole community , that's for sure . So , over the past year , what leadership are you most proud of when it comes to instructional leadership , and why ? Yeah .
Speaker 3So you know , I wrote about this in my application for principal of the year and I think one of the important things is really launching out of COVID . We embrace the acceleration model through the Center for School Change , now Partners for Educational Leadership , and through that we really embrace the idea of high quality instruction and providing the support so all students can be successful with grade level curriculum supports , so all students can be successful with grade level curriculum . We've continued with that throughout the past few years and continue to embrace that philosophy , also embracing Peter Liljahl's work and a lot of people they talk about it , but we've been with that for three years now and so we're sending people to visit or to experience him in person , which has been amazing . But I think that work , that leadership shift of one defining what high-quality instruction looks like and making that move to make sure that in every classroom it's what we call it , moving from model one , which is traditional , to model two , which is more of that stand up and make thinking visible in your classroom .
Speaker 2That's great . I love model too , and I think we know the value of having that shared vision of high quality instruction across a district or an organization so that collectively we're sharing best practices and building that vision together . So it's exciting work , that's for sure .
Speaker 3It is yeah .
Speaker 2So let's shift to your students . What's the best piece of advice that you received from one of your Highland Hugos and I'm sure there's many ?
Speaker 3Oh yeah , they always have something to say about something Sure do , and some of them are kind of funny . You know , I think about stories about kids and say , oh , you remind me of my grandfather . And I think back in my career , I was , you know , younger than my parents and I'm the same age as my parents and now I'm much older than my parents at my school and now I'm the grandfather . So they do say some funny things .
Speaker 3You know , I always think of kind of the best advice that I've been given , whether a student or an adult , is just kind of stay true to my philosophy that children are first , and whatever decision it is if it's a hard decision to go back to that step of what's best for the children in this case , so I think that's a good one . If I go back for a second , I just thought about , you know , kind of what kids come to me . A lot is usually in the lunchroom and they're giving me advice about what we should have for lunch , or how we should recycle , or you know , or that all kids should be able to pick their own seats , and things like that . Oh okay , well , thanks for your advice and I'll take it under consideration
Prioritizing Self-Care and Educational Leadership
Speaker 3. And I get letters all the time of people who want to make change .
Speaker 3You know they want to have special days , earth days or cleanup days , things like that , and I try to listen and respond to every single one of them , usually letters that come to me . I invite them into my office , we talk about it and we try to come up with a plan , because I want to make sure they feel heard and listened to and that someone is going to do something about something .
Speaker 2So yeah , that's great . Those are . Some of the best conversations is when a student comes up with some idea or something they're so very passionate about and you can kind of try to support them in actually seeing that through , which is wonderful . So we're going to switch gears . Back in March , at our CAS leadership conference , Dr Adolph Brown III was one of our keynote speakers and he really encouraged leaders to practice self-care and said prioritize self-care and make time for activities that nourish your mind , body and soul , Whether it's reading a book , going for a walk in nature or indulging in your favorite hobbies , remember to take care of yourself along the way . So , Scott , how do you take care of you ?
Speaker 3So self-care is important . We prioritize it at the school with our staff , but also personally for myself . Yeah , I have lots of hobbies , but I know my partner and I , terry , we like to take walks with our dog , so we do a lot of walking and hiking . We also garden . We have a huge community garden . Another thing I do I'm a potter , so I've been a potter for 25 years and so I don't take classes . I spend time in the studio weekly , and so that's usually something that helps to kind of calm me down , center me a little bit and know that I've done something for myself instead of everything for my work , and I think that's really important , that you have to step away from it sometimes . Last week we were on vacation , so a lot of beach walks and no work . It was good you kind of put it aside . It will be back , so it's important to do that . I would agree with Dr Brown .
Speaker 2Right . So , as with every new school year , new opportunities come In your opinion . As with every new school year , new opportunities come In your opinion . What is something our schools need to get right in 2024 , and why ?
Speaker 3That's a great question . You know , I believe strongly in our district and I think we do a lot of things right and have been continually progressing over the years since I've been here . We have great alignment from top down . I think it works really well . But I think we need to continue to support our students' social and emotional needs , and I think that's probably everyone's mission , because we know that they need greater support .
Speaker 3But one of the things that we've been working on and I want to continue to focus on that is that embedding social , emotional skills , habits needs within the academics .
Speaker 3So they're not two separate , segregated items that we work on . Today we're going to work on complex thinking and academics and tomorrow we're going to work on SEL . But they need to be integrated and they need to be integrated throughout the day by giving students choice , more autonomy , more fun within the curriculum and the things that they're doing . So I think back to like , if we're getting kids up and working in triads and making their thinking visible , that's a lot more fun than sitting in a seat and listening to a teacher all day long . So you know , trying to work on those areas that are going to support their needs . Another area that we're working on I'm sure many districts are doing that is we're doing a book study on the anxious generation . So that's what I'm reading for the summer and it's so many things that I feel like I knew intuitively . But to hear the research or read the research and see the results , it's staggering how much we need to do in the area of social , emotional .
Speaker 2I can't agree with you more , scott . I also read the Anxious Generation and , as a mother of teens and tween age group , I can't suggest that book to people enough . And , just like you said , it's many things that we've thought and we've witnessed over the years , but the research behind it is powerful and what I like most about the text is it offers a hopeful outlook . There is something that we can do . There are ways that we can support our youth . It's not a hopeless read and , like you , I can't say enough about it , so I hope our listeners will pick it up .
Speaker 3Oh , I would agree . There are some small little moves that people can make that can make a huge difference in their kids' lives , and everyone should read this .
Speaker 2Yes , all right . So we're going to pick up our speed and these are meant to be kind of rapid questions with quick responses , no pressure .
Speaker 3All right , no pressure .
Speaker 2So here we go . You've been described as a fierce advocate for your school . As Principal of the Year , what will you advocate for on behalf of your principals across the state of Connecticut ?
Speaker 3I think here at Highland and I'm sure around the state , we like to provide our teachers with coaching opportunities to work on problems of practice , more opportunities for principals to work with principals or with professional coaches to work on problems of practices .
Speaker 2Good , that's it . And when our principals need professional learning opportunities , just like every member of our organization . Scott , who inspires you ? Who are you listening to or reading about or following ?
Speaker 3Sure , I'm reading , like I mentioned the Anxious Generation . I'm not sure if it's inspiring me or worrying me tremendously , but Peter Liljahl I got to see him this spring , truly inspiring . I mean , if I could be anyone , I'd be him .
Speaker 2Well , he's really helping to transform the way we're thinking about construction , that's for sure . If you were to pick one or two of your best pieces of compression so compression is like a condensed thought or saying what would you say they are ?
Speaker 3um relationships matter , um stay true to yourself . You know kids first . I think those are probably the ones that really stick out , that those relationships matter . Listen , listen and listen excellent .
Speaker 2Is there something about leadership that you've rethought recently ?
Speaker 3you know . I think you know , since , like we talked about covid and and the acceleration model and the instructional framework from partners with educational leadership , I think the idea that all students can achieve a grade level , but really to take that a little bit further with some of the new strategies and the idea of high quality instruction , model one , model two , building thinking classrooms all that has really changed my thinking as far as that all kids can , with the right supports , reach that great level of work .
Speaker 2So we already learned that you're a potter . Is there another hidden talent that you have that aids in your role ?
Speaker 3Oh gosh , I don't know . I think staying calm I try really hard . I mean , people say that about me . I don't always feel internally calm , but externally I think it might be . One of my strengths is just staying calm , cool , collective , and I think it helps everyone around you remain that way , especially in a crisis situation .
Speaker 2Absolutely . I would support you in that . I've seen you and that is one of your superpowers Stay calm on the outside and you're always smiling and you always have that look of confidence and joy and it's going to be okay , and that certainly does matter .
Speaker 3What's one of the best leadership moments you've had since becoming an educational leader , Gosh ? You know , I think this is year 35 for me and I've had so many different experiences , whether it's private education . When I first started in the field , I worked in South Carolina for a few years and so I've been kind of in different places . But I think , surprisingly as awful as COVID was , I keep going back to that , that leadership moment , that piece of coming out of there and supporting people and launching from there into something really good . I feel so fortunate to be part of a district that we're all moving together in the same direction , with that focus on helping kids and supporting kids to be successful . Despite the loss of time in school or stuck at home , all the negative things that went along with COVID , I think there were some really great things that came out of it .
Speaker 2I like that optimistic perspective . So what's one thing I should have asked you , but didn't ?
Speaker 3Oh gosh , what do we do for fun at Highland ?
Speaker 2Let's hear it .
Speaker 3So I think we're a pretty fun staff . We have a really strong sunshine group or a cohesive group of people that they work hard together and they also play together . So I'm often someone will text me a picture of everyone together somewhere out and I really like that . I feel like a proud father when I see the kids are out playing and getting along with each other and we'll do functions outside of school and things like that . But in school we have fun .
Speaker 3We might do different holiday things , seasonal things like our secret snowman and so many people participated or will have some fun and do some scavenger hunts around the building and it's always fun and they have to post pictures . We also have a pretty strong self-care wellness group , so from the district and school base , so we do a lot of things like we have two people who are certified in a yoga program so they do a lot of what's called breathe for change and so they do a lot of work with staff and mindfulness and yoga . We have some challenges , step challenges . There's always something kind of happening for staff that's not just instructional and kids .
Speaker 2That's awesome Fun matters . Like you said , you have to work hard together as a family or community , but also having fun together is so important . Is there something you'd like to ask me ?
Speaker 3Yeah , in your role you've shifted from a building now into CAS , which is a tremendous organization that I've known for so long , I've been so fortunate to be part of . But in your travels , do you find that there are common trends or themes or needs for principals in the state ?
Speaker 2Absolutely . It's a great question and also part of the reason why I did shift to coming to CAS is to build that perspective . So , you know , in the course of the week I could be in Darien , connecticut , meriden , connecticut , and Canterbury , connecticut , which are all so very different different in size and the population that they serve . But often , when we think about what do our leaders need , those needs to support school principals are the same . And I'll give you an example Just a couple of weeks ago we hosted what we called an unconference , but it was really an opportunity for school leaders to come together and for them to generate what is it that we want to talk about ?
Speaker 2And we just provided the space and the structure and we had high school level leaders , middle school level leaders and elementary leaders and the buzz was just amazing and to see leaders building connections across our state and having the time and the space and really the energy to talk about what matters to them . And I share that because , like you said , what it is that our leaders are thinking about and talking about is in common . Said , what it is that our leaders are thinking about and talking about is in common . And so at CAS we're trying to meet those needs , recognizing that principals are so very busy yet the need to network and connect and grow as professionals is so important .
Speaker 3Thank you . Yeah , that's good to know , and oftentimes I think we feel isolated in our buildings . We're so stuck to it that we're not sure what other people are doing .
Speaker 2Yes . So , Scott , where can people go to find out more about you and your work or if they want to connect with you ?
Speaker 3Yeah , I mean they can reach out to me through our school telephone number , which is 203-272-0335 . Or my email , which is sjjeffrey at cheshirek12.ctus .
Leadership Stories With Scott Jeffrey
Speaker 2Thank you , scott Jeffrey , principal of Highland Elementary School and our 2024 Connecticut Association of Schools Elementary Principal of the Year . Thank you for this honest and engaging conversation . The mission of the Linking Leaders podcast is to connect the amazing educational leaders across our small state , one conversation at a time , and I'm confident that your student-centered approach to leadership will spark ideas , create conversation and inspire action from colleagues throughout Connecticut . Scott , it's my sincere gratitude for this candid conversation . It's evident to me that you are a listening leader and a learning leader . Congratulations on leading for over 35 years and to our listeners , stay connected to CAS and listen up for the next episode of Linking Leaders .
Speaker 1Thanks so much for joining us for this episode of the Linking Leaders podcast . This episode is brought to you by the Connecticut Association of Schools , serving schools and their leaders since 1935 .