Cool Coffee w/ Kansas Principals
CC#114: Retirement and the Principal w/ Stacey Green - Stockton PreK-8
Descripción
In this episode of Cool Coffee, Kansas principal Stacey Green shares her journey to retirement, insights on leadership, decision-making, and the importance of self-care in educational leadership. Connect with the guest: sgreen@usd271.com [sgreen@usd271.com] Connect on X: @usd271sgs [https://x.com/usd271sgs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor] References from the show: Emily P. Freeman - The Next Right Thing [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Next+Right+Thing] Emily P. Freeman - How to Walk into a Room [https://www.amazon.com/How-Walk-into-Room-Knowing/dp/0063328828] Cool Coffee Episodes Featuring Stacey Green: #4 [https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-f3293-16a5f95], #22 [https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-wpmwj-171931a], #65 [https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-hvdbg-18922ea], & #89 [https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-qudnf-1990512] --------------------------------- Contact host Principal Rick Sola: rfsola@olatheschools.org [rfsola@olatheschools.org,] or KPACoolCoffee@gmail.com [KPACoolCoffee@gmail.com] The mission of the Kansas Principals Association [https://www.ksprincipals.org/o/kpa], an organization committed to educational excellence and the lifelong success of all students, is to develop and support all principals through optimized learning, collaborative leadership, networking, and service. Read more about the KPA HERE [https://www.ksprincipals.org/o/kpa]. Provide Cool Coffee feedback! Click HERE [https://forms.gle/nSVj4nNw1Yn74WVu8] to share thoughts and suggestions--including guests to have on the show! Click for ALL Cool Coffee [https://coolcoffee.podbean.com/] episodes! Connect with Cool Coffee on... Follow us on X: @KSPrincipals [https://x.com/KPACoolCoffee]; @KPACoolCoffee [https://x.com/KPACoolCoffee] Facebook: KSPrincipals [https://www.facebook.com/KSPrincipals/] Contact host Principal Rick Sola: rfsola@olatheschools.org [rfsola@olatheschools.org,] or KPACoolCoffee@gmail.com [KPACoolCoffee@gmail.com] ---------------------------------- Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Stacey Green 01:03 Reflecting on Retirement Decisions 04:22 The Journey to Retirement 10:30 Legacy of Leadership at Stockton 13:18 Advice for New Principals 18:07 Future Plans and Next Steps 20:45 Looking Forward to Spring Events Full Episode Transcript Rick Sola (00:01.946) Hello and welcome to Cool Coffee with Kansas Principals. Today's episode brings back Mrs. Stacey Green, principal at Stockton Grade School, pre-K through eight, a USA Kansas rep, KPA board of directors, and a frequent contributor to this podcast. You can see episodes four, 22, 65, and 89, and I'll put all those in the show notes. A principal legend here in Kansas and just an all around favorite of so many people. I've heard that in person, conversational reference, and on this very podcast, and a person who has been so kind to me in this show. So, so glad to have you. Stacy, welcome back to Cool Coffee. Stacey Green (00:42.958) Good morning, Rick. It's good to see you. Rick Sola (00:45.166) Yeah, it's great to see you too. So for a little bit of context here, we are recording this. It's St. Patrick's Day, which also means it is spring break. So Stacy, thank you for coming in and or jumping on here to record this. But I'm really excited to visit with you, to catch up with you. But this is a big quarter coming up for you. Stacey Green (01:08.534) Yes it is. Thank you again for coming in on your spring break. I appreciate that as well working around my schedule. Yes it's my final quarter which seems so very strange to say and some I think every day I get asked are you counting the days and this is true I am NOT counting the days. I think the minute I cross over the threshold of the building I enter each day I get busy and before I know it I'm walking out the door so there's not any counting. I think this is something I've instilled in my staff even like when we head to Christmas break or head to spring break or head to the end of the year, make the days count. Don't count the days. So I'm glad in my own brain I've instilled that enough that I'm making the most of every day we have until I complete this work. Rick Sola (01:50.212) Yeah, that's really, really good advice. And it's so tempting, I'm sure, to even take moments. And we'll get into it here in a little bit about kind of we've talked about your road to the chair that you're in, but really I'm interested in the road to your retirement. it was about it was over just over a year and half ago that you were on this podcast. It was the fourth episode. So brand new in this show's journey. But you had posted something about how you were beginning, I believe it was your 35th year at the time, and you still have so many things to be excited about, which is really remarkable. And we spent some time talking about that. So if we were to spend some time now talking about your road to retirement, what did that road look like up to the point of you made the decision like, OK, it's time? Stacey Green (02:44.396) I wish I would have marked that more carefully, but I would say it was about this time a year ago. A good friend of mine during our Christmas time had shared an author with me. Her name is Emily P. Freeman. Spiritual director, she's also just an avid writer. She has a podcast that I listen to faithfully. Also for those that like collections on apps, she has some daily apps. she talks a lot about the next right thing. And she talks about how, whether we're a lot about decision fatigue, she talks about small decisions you might be in or maybe make life changing. So I started reading her book, The Next Right Thing. Another one called How to Walk into a New Room. Something similar that I don't have that exact title in front of me, but just really it was the right... text for me, the right voice for me at that time. And I really started looking at like, what are my next right steps? I feel like, and I said this in my letter to the board when I resigned in December, I'm not leaving with any regrets. I'm not leaving because of anyone. It's just the next right thing for me. And that's really where I've done most of my discernment is just. What does that look like to put me first? I'm typically, I'm such a service-oriented person. I really had to have some coaching and some training along the way to make this 13-year principalship run work for me and my family because I give a lot. But learning during that time from coaching from others how to... allow others to serve and how to delegate better and so those kind of things. But yeah, getting back to that, I think that that March and starting to follow Emily, started making some notes. I also decided I wouldn't make that decision coming out of the end of the school year. I felt like I was weary. We're tired at that time. That's not my best decision making time. I wanted to have the summer last summer to really finish the work. Stacey Green (04:29.518) through some journaling and some writing there. So that's what I did. And then came back and started this fall semester and knew by October it was the right thing. And so I've really had not any regret. I'm gonna miss a lot of people. I'm gonna miss the students. I'm gonna miss the routines, but yeah, it's the right thing. So I'm excited about that. Rick Sola (04:46.778) I really like the, I guess the insight or the foresight or I guess awareness maybe of, you know, not making that decision at Memorial Day. You know, we are coming off of a school year and you mentioned that decision fatigue. I mean, that's, you're at the very end of the year and it's very, very busy and you're worn down. And so to have that wherewithal of like, okay, this is how I'm feeling. I feel really strongly about this, but I'm not making that final decision. And you said it was October that you just kind of came to that. Was there anything significant about that time frame or that specific time of the school year? Stacey Green (05:27.426) I don't think so. think I was just more self-aware and just like... hallway walks in and out of classrooms and just being aware of the great things that are happening and the sustainability we have with teacher leadership and with our current superintendent and the board. just felt like we were finally at that place where okay this work can continue. It won't take me to be the one to lead that. There's enough people in these places and spaces. That took staff a long time to grasp and I shared with them my plans. It was like my goodness no hang on here. We had the tears. We had the moments but you've got all the right things in place and so of my teacher leadership that's come from something that's been a passion of mine when I came into this role is that this wasn't about me, it was about we and what can you do as leaders in the classroom that know those students day in and day out. You know the curriculum resources, you know the standards. Stand up for yourselves and advocate for yourselves and continue to be strong and you're putting students first. Rick Sola (06:23.396) You mentioned the tears and the sharing the news and all that outside of your family. Who was the first to know? Stacey Green (06:32.994) wow. Probably my secretary. Yeah. She has been with me five years now. Incredible. Came at the right time. right after COVID. My other secretary left. She'd been there several years and when the pandemic came, she decided that was her time to step away. So Ms. Rhonda came in right after that. So I think she was the next person to know. Just again, faithful woman who discerned with me, talked with me, still encourages me. So that's been super helpful. Rick Sola (07:01.39) So I know every year we have principals that retire and there's no one way to go through this process. But how did that go as far as announcing to your staff? Was it a staff meeting? Was it an email? Was it they found out in the newspaper? What way did you go about letting your staff know? Stacey Green (07:19.438) you Stacey Green (07:26.158) So we have what are called Wednesday accountability meetings and this came out of our work through the redesign and we've kept that. So every Wednesday we meet from 345 to fourish, about 15 minutes and it's just a quick, sometimes it's a standup meeting sometimes, but we're always hitting those things we're working on quickly instead of long staff meetings. So I had scheduled one of, had that on schedule already and so before I turned my letter into the board, my superintendent knew that, but before I turned that letter into her, I sat down with my staff and actually read the letter to them. was easiest way for me to work through that. So we just had that time together. And some of, by that point in time, some of the people I have more often conversations with were figuring it out by that time. Rick Sola (08:08.878) Yeah, I was going to ask, know, I've been around a while, whether it's retirement or a promotion of some sort, and people start to kind of dig a little bit and make reference. Well, if you're here next year or what are your thoughts? Did you get any kind of like you could you could tell that they're starting to really question or kind of wonder? Stacey Green (08:27.886) Yes, they were. Yeah, and I was weary a couple times early in the fall, and I think they picked up on that. There were some things happening that weren't within my control and some things that we had to make some daily decisions on, and I was getting, it was a weary time. So I think they were picking up on some of that as well. Rick Sola (08:46.618) So I know you have a kind of maybe it's a conscious effort not to do the, you know, this is the last time for the last spring break or the last this or that, but have you caught yourself at any point kind of in that moment of, wow, like, you know, this is kind of the home stretch type deal. Stacey Green (09:05.246) Yes, so I hope I can do this without some tears if I hadn't thought about this. just finished my last round of teacher evaluations. And my last one I wrote was for a young man who came in as a sponsored student teacher for us because we couldn't find a PE teacher. So he did a student teaching with us, which was basically on his own. I had a high school PE teacher checking on him. had myself checking on him, but he was really on his own. And then stayed on with us last year. We'll continue. This is this. one and a half year with us as on license and then we'll come back again next year. So it was, I didn't mean to intentionally save his for last, but it worked out that way. again, that teacher leadership part and growing him, it was pretty cool to have him be one of my final ones. And then the other one was my 44 year veteran who came, he had been a long time counselor for us. He, had gone over to the high school as a counselor, then retired and went to a private school for a year and then we had an opening and came back to finish two years with us. So that was also a cool moment. He's done, because we know in teacher education he ended up back on that cycle of two-year evaluations, bless his heart, after 44 years. So he and I finished that together last week right before break to it. So that was pretty awesome to bring that first circle from an early educator to a veteran 44 year educator and be able to give them some feedback but also some just affirmation of their work and how much they're appreciated in education. Rick Sola (10:28.804) Well, the time and care that you put in, it's always been evident and we haven't known each other for very long in terms of either of our careers. But certainly I have seen that and appreciated that. And it's being conveyed so strongly even right now, just talking with you and to hear that, the teacher evaluations is the thing that stuck out. Because I think a lot of us, we see those dates come up like, gosh, I'm behind, I need to catch up. But that speaks volumes about you and it's really neat. You referenced the setting up to continue. Your school is set up to continue based on your leadership but also the empowering of leaders in your building. What has you most proud as you step away and you would envision like this is kind of something that will. either last or continue on, but what has you most proud at Stockton as you do move into your retirement? Stacey Green (11:33.135) It definitely is that, If I look back to like that spring of 2012 when I was stepping into assistant principal that first year with our then superintendent, I had written down some things and something for our news article and a lot of was around that topic of... We have had so many superintendents. I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how many, but it's about every two years. And so when you've had 17 superintendents in your 36 years and you being one of them for an interim, we've had a lot of turnover, but we've got great staff and great students and a great community. It's just that I can't name it. I never have been able to figure out what it is. A couple of friends in education say we need to tackle this as a research project and look at that. that was one of my things going into that fall of 13 was I want to leave a legacy where teachers will lead. Where there won't be that here comes the boat again we're sailing off we can maybe hang on for a year but then things change and all that. So that was really my focus. Good or bad there's a lot of miss I don't know how you would describe it but there's a lot of The word redesign like there's like we found that as a district to be very good towards the end It wasn't as well received by our community with some things we had changed They weren't ready for that change yet, even though and we felt like we were as a district So I still go back to that time and probably the thing that we reaped the most from during that time was the teacher leadership the way we constructed our research and the way who is the small groups of teachers who were leading that and the piloting of the work that they were doing that was the one of the first times I really saw as tiring as the work was, I saw an energy I've never seen before in educators. And if I look back at those, we called them our pilot, people who were leading, one of them now is just... Stacey Green (13:20.298) She's my sixth through eighth grade math teacher, profound educator who has had a turn of events in the way she leads in her classroom, but also leads across the state in committee work and work at KSDE and just very proud of her. to watch her growth was phenomenal. Another one is a couple of them I've already left our district, but again, I love to watch them lead in other places now and to cheer them on and to know that they took those skills and that confidence they had in leading into another district and have done so well there as well. That's my exciting part. And I keep telling them now, they keep talking about the days and getting close. Just keep leaving, keep those things in front of you. Know your course, know your why. And I don't want to use that loosely either, but they've done the research and they know what it takes to be able to do the work day in and day out because they're researchers, they know that now. Rick Sola (14:11.45) I'm sure you have reflected on this certainly more than I have, maybe even more than most. when you think about your time in Stockton and the many years you put in, really the final couple months, two to three months, that goes a long way in setting up for that future and all the things that you mentioned for the continuing on of all the great things. I know you're very intentional about that. It's awesome to hear that and kind of leads me to correct me if I'm wrong. This is year 36 in education. What is some advice that you've received that stuck with you all these years? Perhaps it's the best advice you received as an educator. Stacey Green (14:46.478) Yes. Stacey Green (15:00.47) I did some work, my most intentional work with the inspired leadership and Rachel Thulman was my coach at that time and she taught me how to shut my office door. That was something I was always open door, come see me when you need to see me. I was out in classrooms, very visible, but then it was the nights and weekends that I was doing all the work because I just was available all the time. So she taught me and matter of She strategically scheduled a couple of my sessions with her during the school day. had to, I mean, I got permission from my superintendent, but I would shut the door during the school day and work with her for 45 minutes to an hour. knowing there might be a lot going on outside, but I think that was another step too and letting my staff know I'm not available for this hour. Who do you have you can lean on? Who, where can you work that so you're supporting each other and to give me this time to grow too and that was tough. But I learned it and I can do that better today. I can shut that door for an hour and work on an evaluation. I can shut the door and work on the deep work that we need to have happen and not that during the times of the evenings and weekends when I'm tired or I'm ready to spend time with my family. Another thing that stuck with me was the shoulding. We should ourselves. I should be at this event. I should be doing this. I should be doing that. And again, that's something that continues to creep back up even here in this final quarter that I put a lot of weight into is that I don't have to do all of that. I just need to learn that some of those shoulds are things I've put on myself that no one else has given to me. I've just assumed that and I need to correct that. Rick Sola (16:34.528) It's interesting, you both of those things you mentioned, they're kind of in the category of principal guilt that I think we all feel. I'm totally it's what you're saying resonates with me so much, almost like I need to shut my door so I can catch up on something. that guilt factor, almost like you're like you're doing something wrong and you kind of answer the question. But you just addressed it. You mentioned you told your staff that I'm unavailable during these times. Shutting your door, do you put that on your calendar or do you just kind of as you need it, you're willing to shut your door? How do you go about that? Stacey Green (17:09.438) I so wish I could say I put it on my calendar. I've tried that for a couple of years and I don't. Things come up, but I look at my week and know where there might be a day where it's better to slot that, but I don't say that I've ever actually put it on my calendar as much as I have the best intention to do that. Rick Sola (17:11.384) Hahaha Rick Sola (17:28.768) And in shoulding, as you say, there's so many events in a school year. There's so many events that every school has. And we are we need to be at so many of those. But you're right. There are some things that I think are probably OK for a building principal not to attend or not to be able to attend. What would you say to a year one, year two principal who's really riding that that principal guilt? roller coaster and they are putting in the time aside from you know first year principal you're going to put in some extra time anyway but what would you say to them to kind of help them build some perspective around that. Stacey Green (18:12.088) I think a lot of it is just the wisdom I'm sharing here has taken a lot of time and I've had a lot of great people pour into me that have allowed me to grow and share. so it depends on probably what the specific instance might be. But right now I have two amazing first year principals that I'm mentoring through the Kelly. And then I've got a couple of just that live nearby that have other mentors that they'll seek out the suggestions or just want to talk through something. And a of times that's what it is. But the advice I give all of them is always that remembering to take care of yourself and especially these spring breaks or Christmas breaks. Yes, we know there's some things that are going to need to be done, but to not forget to take care of yourself and to put those people closest to you to remind them how important they are to you. And so I think that's the biggest thing. But then there's lots of things that come up that just on individual conversations that not so much more of a coaching role, but more of a mentoring just to continue to do this work long time. Because right now their energy is high. You and I remember that first year you just go in and you're ready to tackle everything. and do all things, so I think that. So for me it's even a text message I sent on Friday to all three of those individuals that I have a lot of contact with just to remind them, you what are you doing this week for you or what are you doing this week with family to remind them to set that priority. Rick Sola (19:28.41) And what a great example from you to them to be able to demonstrate how you do that yourself, but that it is important and it really helps assist the longevity of being able to be in the position that is as demanding as a building principle. So, you know, I love that. Your plans for next year. Have you gotten that far yet or plans maybe for I don't know when your when contract is off in Stockton but when when when that final building walkout occurs what's next. Stacey Green (20:02.552) So contract ends June 30th. We have an amazing trip planned to Alaska for it ended up being this August. We tried and tried for July and for some reason it wouldn't work, but it happens to be the first week of school. So I think that was supposed to be. So with a couple of couples, we'll do that. But then I'm in the middle of a couple of conversations with some next steps. And hopefully by the end of March here, I'm one of those will I'll be able to share a little bit more about what I'm going to do. It'll be part time. That's what I've been seeking. We have three grandchildren and one of them will start school. school this fall and I want to be able to go to her events and be the Gigi I want to be. We have some aging parents who need some hospital visits, some ongoing care that I can be more free to do that work. So part-time position is perfect. I still have a lot of passion. As some people would say, I'm still pretty young, so I'm not ready to hang up completely. The work that I feel so passionate about, so I'm excited about some next steps. Both of those opportunities look pretty exciting. So just to discern through that next right thing and for what the next some room will look like for me. Rick Sola (21:04.634) Well, you mentioned you mentioned just a bit ago about a research project that you all need to tackle here. Yeah. So there you go. You know, last last year I had a couple principals on they were retiring and one of them he actually intentionally scheduled a trip for August to be away. He had opened an elementary school. He was principal there for 25 years and he scheduled a trip to be away during Stacey Green (21:10.362) That too, I don't know. Rick Sola (21:33.988) know, pre-service, you know, when teachers return as kind of a distraction in a way because he felt just like you, comfortable with the decision. It's the right decision. It's the right time. But also, you know, it's a love. It's a passion. And so maybe being in Alaska in August will just be the perfect remedy for distraction for you. Not to mention a beautiful place to be. Stacey Green (21:58.425) We kept laughing. We tried so hard to make it be in July and it just kept falling back. I was like, okay, we'll quit fighting this and go, that's where I'm supposed to be in August. And I agree. I think that, and I live in a very small community, so the grocery store stops, the church, all those things are, everything's right under your nose. So that'll take a little bit of getting used to. But I tell students all the time, I'm going to still be cheering you on. I'm going to be at your events. I'm going to be able to still have that contact with you. Do summer story hour. So those things that I still got to keep those kids in front of me and continue to push them to the best that they can be and staff the same way. But also carefully remembering that the next principal coming in to be able to make sure that I'm doing that in a way that they can have the leadership that they need and to lead in a different way that I've led. And I think that's the most important part is that I'm able to do what I can do but stay out of the way as well. Rick Sola (22:54.97) What has you most excited here in the next couple months as you push through May? Stacey Green (23:03.17) I think spring is just, fun. mean, the weather is nicer. We'll have track meets. We have some amazing music programs coming up that I'm excited to attend. So just making the most of all of it. And the evaluations are done. So I can get back into more of those informal walkthroughs and encouraging and being there and giving some feedback to staff. So I think that's the biggest part about the spring. Rick Sola (23:16.388) Yeah. Rick Sola (23:26.338) And then of course, I imagine there will be some sort of recognition here at the end for you and as if you could picture kind of a spectrum. And I don't know if you're fan of The Office, the TV show, but where you're at on. Michael Scott departure where you actually leave a day before you're supposed to so that you avoid everything and you avoid all that or you're the one in charge of your your own Farewell or anything. What do you expect the last week or so to look like for you? Stacey Green (24:04.302) I would sneak out the back door. I would just assume not have that fanfare and all that, but yet I know there'll be something and I'll enjoy every moment of that. My daughter actually is the one who's, I think she's still doubting I'm going to pull this off because she said a year ago, there's no way you can do this. But in spite of her, I'm going to show her that there's strong women we can make change and move on to those next right things. So I think she's talking about some fun things planned as well. that will, it'll be good. And I've got a lot, I love the people. I, again, just this last week, I have about five or six principles that we have a text chat and just being able to network with them. And so all those people that have fed into me and that I've been able to feed, I hope that I get a way to acknowledge them in this process as well. Rick Sola (24:46.468) Well, truly, as I mentioned, know, the passion and the care, the love you have for the profession, it's totally, totally conveyed here on this show. just in the few years that are. our careers have crossed path. It's something I've picked up on. It's something I've appreciated and has been an influence to me. And I'm really excited for you. And I know that those next steps will be really, really fun and exciting and that you'll still be, like you said, you'll still be around. You're still gonna be engaged and you're still gonna be involved. But I really appreciate you taking the time today to share. some reflection on where you're at in this process in March with a quarter left to go and because there are other principals that are sitting in the same position as you right now and so thank you for sharing all that today and thank you for all the support you've given to not just this show but to me you've reached out to me just throughout the few years here that we've been on the kpa board together and i just so appreciate you and want to wish you all the best moving forward Stacey Green (25:55.481) Thank you, Rick. I appreciate your kind words and thank you for leading so well. And that's what it's gonna take is me feeding into those of you that are at the cusp of that really kind of that beginning. know how many years for you remind me. Rick Sola (26:06.074) This is my 15th year as an administrator. Yeah. Stacey Green (26:08.236) year. So you're well into this. So yeah, but just continue all of you that are doing the great things for our profession across the state, but also across the country, because we have to keep advocating for ourselves and the role that we have and ultimately our students. So thank you for your work and for having me on here and allowing me to be real. Rick Sola (26:26.252) Absolutely. And have a wonderful rest of your spring break. hopefully now you can get back to spring break now that we're wrapping this up. Stacey Green (26:35.618) Thank you. I'm not sure it looks so fun. It looks like a lot of lists to get things accomplished at home, probably like most of you. Rick Sola (26:42.442) Absolutely. Stacey, take care and we'll see you around. Stacey Green (26:46.265) Thank you.
Empieza 7 días de prueba
$99 / mes después de la prueba. · Cancela cuando quieras.
- Podcasts solo en Podimo
- 20 horas de audiolibros al mes
- Podcast gratuitos
Todos los episodios
119 episodios
Comentarios
0Sé la primera persona en comentar
¡Regístrate ahora y únete a la comunidad de Cool Coffee w/ Kansas Principals!