by Veonte Barnes
Junior Accountant
Pasadena Educational Foundation
Longfellow is operating away from its original campus while construction is underway. Many students and staff still haven’t been able to return home after the Eaton Fire.
The experience was both nostalgic and eye-opening.
Being back in a school environment brought back memories, but it also made me think about what school would look like if I were a student today. In most of the classrooms we visited, students were participating in dual language immersion, and we saw a math class working together in groups to solve problems. These were experiences I never had as a student, and it was exciting to see learning take place in ways that were new to me.
The dual language immersion classes especially stood out. Seeing second graders speaking and listening entirely in Spanish was amazing. It made me think, I want my daughter to have that opportunity! There was something special about seeing students develop those skills at such an early age.
Another moment that stuck with me came after Principal Ingber mentioned how she and her staff always find a way to make things work. Longfellow is operating away from its original campus, which is currently under construction. She mentioned how her office is sometimes used as a gathering place for activities due to spatial constraints on campus. Many Longfellow students and staff who were displaced by the Eaton Fire still haven’t been able to return home. That is another layer of reality that teachers, students, and staff must navigate every day.
During another classroom visit, students were instructed to retrieve supplies from a cabinet, which they did respectfully and politely. The teacher then said a phrase in Spanish, and the students responded together in English, “We make the best of what we have!”
It was amazing to see that mindset reflected in the classroom after hearing Ingber describe it. It displayed something about the school beyond the lesson itself.
It also got me thinking about how many hats teachers and school staff wear every day. They are responsible for providing effective instruction and making a lasting impact on students, all while navigating technology challenges, financial constraints facing families and the district, and the different circumstances children bring with them from home. They are expected to do so much with the resources available to them and still find ways to make it work.
I left Principal for a Day thinking that this is something community leaders and policymakers should experience routinely. How can you lead effectively without seeing and experiencing the realities of the people and institutions you are making decisions about? Educators are entrusted with one of the most important roles in society, yet they continue to face funding constraints while being asked to do more. Spending time in a school and seeing that reality firsthand should be part of understanding what our schools need and what we are asking of the talented and brave people who lead them.
Learn more about Principal For a Day here.
