Jonathan Green and Kaye Houlihan

Kaye (K) and Jonathan (J) recall what they were like as students. J remembers how his dyslexia affected his education and K remembers being a diligent student who loved learning.

J shares how learning how to read as a dyslexic student had such a huge impact on him and made him want to become an educator. He recalls how his father signed him up to be evaluated for dyslexia and how he was taught to read through the Orton-Gillingham approach.

K talks about how she came to be an educator, saying she loved learning, worked in nonprofits focused on education, and then decided to become an educator and is now a principal.

K and J note how their mentors and colleagues motivate them to keep working despite the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on education.

J reflects on how their use of the continuous improvement model has been accelerated by the pandemic. One of the biggest lessons he’s learned from continuous improvement is how to expand the parameters of how student success can be measured to include student wellness.

K considers the importance of making a full commitment when using continuous improvement to get the most benefit.

J discusses the challenges of implementing continuous improvement, particularly how it depends on teachers to develop new skills.

K says she would like to continue offering students that same level of support throughout the rest of their time in high school, even though continuous improvement focuses on ninth graders. She considers how having teachers from all departments is both a challenge and an asset when implementing continuous improvement.

K and J discuss the benefits and impacts of continuous improvement, from student success to seeing new initiatives based on continuous improvement being offered to different students across campus.

K and J close with some of the hopes and goals they have for the students and the school.