What inspired you to pursue a career in education, and how has your journey shaped the way you lead as a principal today?
My decision to become an educator was sparked by my 11th grade U.S. History teacher, Ms. McLoughlin. When I passed the U.S. History End-of-Course exam, my first and only standardized test “success” in K–12. Her genuine pride and affirming words have stayed with me and I don't believe I had ever experienced a JOY quite like that at that age. Six years later, I began my career in education teaching U.S. History at Riverside High School.
My journey into leadership kind of just naturally happened. One of my favorite truths about education is that the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know. It pushes me to continually explore unfamiliar territory in and outside of self– not always easy when tasked with leading. As a principal, I have drawn heavily on lived experiences, including moments of failure and growth in guiding how I approach decision making. I believe in the power of open feedback. Listening intently to understand different perspectives, even when there is disagreement is as wholesome as it gets.My goal has always been to create a culture where raising concerns is seen as a sign of investment, not conflict.
How do you see the role of parents and caregivers in creating a thriving school experience, and what are some meaningful ways your school partners with families?
Before Lyons Farm opened, we hosted 11 focus group sessions at the local library and 7 virtually, we also set up at the South Durham Farmers Market to greet and welcome families to our school community. During our focus groups we gathered parents’ and students’ hopes, priorities, and dreams for our new school. These discussions helped shape our school’s five Core Values: Exploration, Joy, Rigor, Justice, and Growth. To this day, parents reference these values in conversations with me, the PTA, and our teachers, often without realizing they helped create them. I have overpromoted our core values since Year 1, Day 1 in hopes of establishing who we are and what we value most as a school community.
We strive to move beyond traditional family involvement to genuine interdependence, a partnership where families and staff work side-by-side toward shared goals. This happens through classroom collaborations, school-wide events like our Winter and Arts Extravaganza, and countless other programs where parents eagerly request to volunteer. Our school community is the most engaged I’ve worked with in my career, and I fully recognize that many of our families are fortunate to have time and resources to contribute…so much more to say here.
When families are partners rather than spectators, students develop a stronger sense of belonging, and that connection fuels the hope that, together, we can create a school environment where every child can thrive.
Can you share some intentional strategies your school has used to support student growth, particularly for Black students, and what outcomes have you seen?
Supporting Black students starts with holding high expectations for all and creating the conditions for them to succeed. The single most powerful factor is hiring strong teachers.
Using data to identify gaps early, we act quickly with targeted supports like small-group intervention and culturally relevant curriculum. After reviewing our first districtwide benchmark results, we led Achievement Gap discussions series with families of color to gather perspectives and explore ways to address, not work to solve, the gap between our Black students and other subgroups. About 47 families attended, but knowing some couldn’t participate, we repeated the sessions, drawing another strong turnout.
One clear request emerged: extended learning opportunities. Within a year, thanks to grant funding and a private donor, and the amazing work of our Dean of Student Ms. Debbra Boecker, we opened a Satellite Learning Lab—equipped with computers, a printer, and staffed by rotating teachers twice a week to extend academic instruction. There are also plans to include more activities! A grandparent and her daughter recently committed to hosting sewing lessons immediately following tutoring!
Since opening in 2022, Lyons Farm has ranked among the top schools in North Carolina for academic growth, with significant gains for Black students, and #1 for growth among recently opened elementary schools. These results prove what we believe: when students are surrounded by excellent teaching, a challenging curriculum, and a community that believes in them, they rise to the occasion.