XIV Educational Philosophy | Kelly W.

Withers

I believe in the power of education as a disruptor of circumstance and a catalyst for

opportunity for our youth and communities as a whole. Education can and should serve as a
key weapon to fight the battle of divisiveness that exists in our communities, our state, and our
nation. It can open eyes and eventually hearts to the oppression and opportunities that
surround us. The work we do each day as educators can be the most powerful gift the students
we serve will ever receive.
Student learning is our core mission. Students must be taught to be fluent readers,
writers, and speakers. They must be taught to be problem solvers, thinkers, creators, and risk
takers. They must be taught how to embrace differences and participate in society with civility
and respect. To ensure that our students are developing these skills, teachers must develop
engaging lessons that include relevant examples, content, and context that represents the
backgrounds of all children. In addition, we need to create lessons that allow students to
experience productive struggle and do not have clear multiple-choice answers but rather
solutions that require explanation and defense.
In Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Renewal has allowed us to redesign our directional system
to focus on three equal parts - academic skills, interpersonal skills, and unique life goals.
Academic skills have long been the focus of education. However, the measurement of success
for academic skills has been equated to one standardized test. I believe that standardized
testing has a place in education as it exists in life. I do not believe that the sole measure of
academic success lies within one moment of time. I believe we should invest in and trust our
educators to weigh in on the measure of learning through assessment of student work,
anecdotal records, or peer reflection exercises. I believe the measurement of academic success
is continual and should be used to personalize each student’s next steps.

Examples in Practice:
• Led collaborative efforts to examine state standards, select fundamental standards, defend
choices, and connect content to produce integrated coursework focused on students’
personalized interests and learning goals.
• Developed protocols to review student work for personalization, rigor, student voice, and
choice that was shared at both primary and secondary levels to improve the quality of
instruction.

Interpersonal skills are critical to prepare our students for their eventual independence.
It is essential that we build relationships with all of our students to know and understand where
they have been, where they are, and where they would like to go. It is imperative that we train
our staff to understand the students they serve through collaborative engagement with varied
voices as well as developing approaches such as culturally responsive teaching or trauma
informed practices. Through strong relationships with our students and an intentional focus of
teaching and modeling interpersonal skills, we will equip our students to achieve.

Examples in Practice:
• Designed and implemented an advisory model to address social and emotional needs of
students that has been used as a national model for student voice and relationship
development.
• Secured and collaborated with Everyday COACHES mentoring program to support and
challenge minority males in developing their voice, using their talents/skills, and taking
ownership of decision making and their futures.
 XIV Educational Philosophy | Kelly W. Withers

I believe education should be focused on the future. Beyond teaching the core concepts
and skills of literacy and the foundational concepts in mathematics, our schools need to be a
cacophony of options for students to explore and experience. It is important for us to provide
opportunities for students to learn about theatre, dance, visual arts, and music as well as
service, career, and post-secondary options. Students in elementary school should be exposed
to varied avenues to serve and work. Students in middle schools should be allowed to explore
areas that are of personal interest. Students in high schools should experience these
developing interests and passions through service projects, field experiences, job shadowing,
internships, and apprenticeships.

Examples in Practice:
• Designed and implemented alternative methods to raise graduation rate over 9% at the
onset of the efforts and achieved a 90.0% or higher rate at two high schools.
• Collaboratively designed and implemented a renewal plan focused on providing 100% of
graduates with a work-based learning opportunities during their high school career.
• Collaboratively designed and implemented a Decision Day celebration to recognize the
post-secondary plans of seniors who were enrolled, enlisted, or employed.

I believe that schools are the centerpiece of the community they serve. They are filled
with small representatives of the families that make-up our neighborhoods and contribute to
our collective environment. I believe that we must work to bridge the divide between our
schools and communities through establishing trust in a shared vision of education and its
worth. Schools should be “open books” for our communities to see and visit safely and
supportively.
I believe if we want non-educators – parents, community members, business leaders, or
elected officials - to invest in our schools, we have to show them our efforts and allow them a
space at the table to develop the shared vision. I choose to believe that every single person
wants the best opportunities for our children. Although we may disagree on how we do this, we
all have a common “why”. With this in mind, I think it is important to listen to those with whom
I may agree or disagree and work to find a common understanding for our children.
I believe the strategic management of resources, financial or capital, is a crucial skill of
an educational leader. Our resources should be focused on supporting the core mission of
student learning. In order to ensure that these resources are being allocated and maintained to
provide the best outcomes for our students, we must engage in strategic, long range planning.
This process is a collaborative effort with varied lenses at the table to critically assess our needs
and develop priorities that will drive action.

Examples in Practice:
• Zero-based budgeting allowed for a two-year phase in of an initiative called “iPad Pals” at
JCHS. This initiative provided a class set of iPads before our district 1:1 program for every
pair of core content teachers using solely school-based funding.
• Renewal repurposed funds were used to pay stipends to teacher leaders for instructional
coaching and leading professional learning communities focused on improved student
outcomes.
 XIV Educational Philosophy | Kelly W. Withers

I believe that our students deserve a leader that is laser focused on equitable practices.
This includes ensuring that all students have resources that embrace their race and ethnicity. It
involves authentic conversations around rigorous expectations for all with supportive measures
in place. It means that all students regardless of special needs, whether it be a learning
disability, a physical limitation, a behavioral challenge, or a language barrier, deserve a quality
education. It translates to examining and revising our staff recruitment and hiring practices to
ensure that students have quality teachers that represent the diversity present in our
community. It involves being brave and pushing the envelope for social change or
transformation that is in the best interest of the marginalized populations even in the face of
controversy.
Example in Practice:
• Led the hiring process for six new principals during the first two months as an associate
superintendent that placed five quality minority candidates into leadership roles in our
schools.
I believe that a key lever in moving the needle of student learning is the hiring,
developing, and retaining of a high-quality staff. For that reason, my core actions as a leader are
to build capacity in the staff and empower them to lead others. It is with great intention that I
begin conversations when I meet new people on our team with questioning, “in what ways do
you or could you lead?” Their answers give me insight into their current strengths, celebrations,
as well as areas of possible growth.
Examples in Practice:
• Served as a principal coach in low performing schools in varied areas of the district.
• Served as a mentor for new principals
I believe it is critical to listen to the voices of the employees. It is paramount that we
shape our organization into a community of learners – children and adults. It is also imperative
that we ensure that employees or departments do not feel undervalued or underrepresented in
key decisions. The inability to design processes to provide all employees an opportunity to
share and collaborate will cause a churn of entries and exits into our organization. This constant
transition makes sustained progress very difficult.
My personal mantra is to be better tomorrow than I was today. This personal belief
carries over into my professional approach. I was asked once by a staff member when would we
be done with our transformation to which I responded, “we are never finished.” A model of
continuous improvement requires clear, explicit goals aligned to the vision of the district.
However, goals without a measurement of progress leads to little action. I believe that
accountability is an essential piece of our work. We must honestly and transparently
communicate our current reality, our next steps, and our desired outcomes. As an agent of
change, we are accountable to our community for the agreed upon outcomes of movement
towards our shared vision.
Examples in Practice:
• Implemented data driven professional learning communities at two schools
• Coached principals in the development and implementation of data driven professional
learning communities in elementary and middle schools.
• Collaboratively designed a data room that created a visual representation of student
progress that was used as a state and national model.