With the close of last school year, I completed my 30th campaign in education. Each of those years has been filled with joy and sorrow, challenges and successes, ups and downs and a ton of stories worth sharing. My (True) Life in Education Thus Far will detail 30 or so of those stories. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed living (most) of them!
A NEW NETWORK
FEBRUARY 15, 2023
Following my year as Acting Principal of Regis Jesuit High School Boys Division, I returned to my role as Assistant Principal in the Girls Division. The subsequent 2 years I spent in that position were good ones albeit challenging ones as I found myself clashing too frequently with the direction leadership was moving the school. I was in leadership, of course, but not in a principal role and I felt that the effect of my voice was significantly diminished.
This may have been only perception, but it was my perception and it was painful.
I began to reluctantly search out a new job.
That came in the form of a vice president position at the Jesuit Secondary Schools Association. Over my 20 years at Regis Jesuit, I had been blessed to take part in numerous personal and professional development opportunities staged by the JSEA. I had been to every Colloquium the network had offered. I was a graduate and an adjunct instructor in their Seminars in Ignatian Leadership. I had presented at many gatherings.
I had friends on the staff of the JSEA and my mentor – a man I still rely on for direction to this day – was departing his role.
I applied to be his successor and was so very happy to be granted the role. I was happy. I was lucky. I was blessed.
The Jesuit Secondary Schools Association was part of the Jesuit Conference of North America, providing programming and support to more than eighty secondary and pre-secondary schools. Its offices were in Washington, DC (about 4 blocks from the White House!) and I would be able to remain in Denver with the expectation that I would travel to the office regularly and would be responsible for programming and teaching all over the country.
It was an incredibly exciting opportunity and I loved every minute of it.
Departing Regis Jesuit was a challenge. My last day there was something of a surreal experience. Finding a home at JSEA (soon to be the Jesuit Schools Network, but that is a subject for another post) was a beautiful gift.
