Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 3-24-17

Letter To Potter Elementary Principal And Staff
JEFF EAKINS Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public School District
Dear Potter Elementary Leadership and Staff,
After reading the most recent article and edito- rial published by the Tampa Bay Times re- garding Potter Elemen- tary, I feel compelled to publicly write you. As you all know, turning around a school is extremely dif-
ficult work. It requires ownership of the solu- tions and long term com- mitment.
I want to thank you personally for your com- mitment to the work. Re- search is clear that adding tension, anxiety and doubt to an already difficult process will only serve to undermine its success. You deserve bet- ter. You deserve our con- fidence and support. So, let me provide that for you today.
First, Principal Hill, we believe in you. Not only do I believe in you, but the School Board, district staff and commu- nity believes in you. I want to remind you that 10 months ago when we went through the princi-
pal selection process for Potter, we did something never done before at an elementary school, we asked community stake- holders to be part of the selection process.
It was clear at the con- clusion of the process who the community sup- ported to be the next principal at Potter.
It was you! You are a product of our district's extensive Principal Pipeline work and it was clear to the committee and myself that you have the skills, determination and heart to put Potter Elementary on the path- way to sustainable suc- cess.
So the next time some- one who has never been a principal questions your ability to be a principal, pick up the phone and call two of your fellow “Elevate” colleagues, Principal Langston at McLane Middle School and Principal Green at Sligh Middle School for reassurance.
They were both “first time” principals at their
schools. They faced simi- lar challenges and media coverage their first year, but now 2 years later, both schools are on a pathway to sustainable success.
The first year of turn- ing around any school re- quires setting the right conditions for learning to occur. I know you and your staff have been working extensively on doing just that.
Thank you for your leadership with this work by setting high expecta- tions for staff and stu- dents so that all the building blocks are in place for future success.
Teachers and staff at Potter, we believe in you! By choosing to teach and work at one of our dis- trict's high need schools, you are committing to changing the trajectory of success for students, who without you, may never reach their fullest poten- tial.
You deserve our praise, support and con- fidence because the type of environment you are creating is based on strong relationships with students and positive learning conditions in every classroom.
I was especially dis- heartened that the Tampa Bay Times took isolated incidents and created an illusion of school-wide chaos.
To the contrary, edu- cational professionals who have actually visited your campus have noted the culture shift that is taking place.
It is clear that chaos does not exist. You have created the conditions for students to treat each
other respectfully and for effective learning to occur.
In October, I brought the entire Leadership Tampa class to Potter to visit several early child- hood classrooms. They were all extremely im- pressed with the culture of the school and what they witnessed in these classrooms.
That visit was very in- tentional. I wanted to both highlight the great work of the teachers and staff at Potter while at the same time underscore the importance of early childhood education to the school-turnaround process if change is to be sustainable.
As we work toward our goals, I applaud you, the staff at Potter Ele- mentary for the support you provide daily to your students and families.
You meet the students right where they are, and provide them with the very best guidance, sup- ports and instruction they deserve to ensure their success. And, in the midst of all that you do, you give them the one thing that they need the most to overcome other challenges and barriers that they are sure to face in life...confidence.
And, that same confi- dence that you instill in your students daily, should be afforded to you the leaders, teachers and staff at Potter Elemen- tary. We believe in you.
With confidence,
Preparing Students for Life Jeff Eakins, Superintendent Hillsborough County Public Schools
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017