When is the last time you felt truly listened to at work? To what extent do you feel seen, heard, and valued in your organization? The test-and-punish era in our public schools made it increasingly difficult for educational leaders to listen to their communities. 75 percent of principals now feel that their job is too complex, and half feel under stress most of the time.1 Central-office administrators, coaches, and teacher leaders endure similar levels of stress in a domino effect that intensifies across the system. As a result, even the best intentioned leaders can miss critical signals coming from stakeholders.

For more than 20 years, I’ve been a devoted and passionate teacher, administrator, and coach in the public school system. At each level, I have actively pursued educational equity, driven by a belief that school systems can and must provide every child with the resources he or she needs to learn and grow.  Along the way, I witnessed – and sometimes fell into – a common leadership trap: failing to listen deeply to others.

My experiences have taught me that we need leaders of all levels who are fearlessly dedicated to closing opportunity gaps for students, and firmly rooted in the values of listening and relationships.  Through the powerful practice of listening and an unwavering commitment to equity, we can dare to reimagine our schools as places of opportunity for every student. Let’s commit to ensuring that every student has access to what they need to thrive.

Safir & Associates provides transformative learning and leadership development experiences for students and educators at every level of the education system. Our mission is to deeply humanize education by shifting our ways of being, pedagogical practices, and data paradigms as we center voices from the margins.

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