Whether it is a superintendent, local officials, the state superintendent, the governor, or the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, you can learn a lot about a leader by accompanying them on a school visit.
When I travel with superintendents, you can see the human side of their leadership — how often they are in schools, how they interact with front office staff, whether they know how to get around the schools, how they talk to students and teachers, etc.
My first experience with this insight into leadership was as a child when Jay Robinson was my own superintendent. I watched how he interacted with me and other students. In my memory, he was tall, really tall. But he always knelt down to talk to me so we were on the same level, eye to eye. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry when he was talking to me, and that has stuck with me.
Setting aside the political reasons Cooper was on the road to schools, on his visits he delivered school supplies and fist bumps, he affirmed students and thanked educators, he listened and he preached.
Educators who interfaced with Cooper were left feeling like, “Governor Cooper has a lot of heart.” And the students were quite tickled to meet him.
Thank you, Gov. Cooper, for choosing to be on the road. From where I sit, it lifted spirits, and I think that matters.
Featured Read
Where’s Cooper?
By my count, Cooper visited more than 60 child care centers, schools, community colleges, and businesses in 2023-24 to highlight public education. In 2024, EdNC went on three of those visits.... Read the rest
-
Gov. Roy Cooper proclaims 2024 the ‘Year of Public Schools’
-
Want to see what it’s like when Gov. Cooper visits a school? Join us in Burke County
