Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora | Superintendent, Tomball ISD
Tags: Leadership Development, Inspirational, K12 Education

Superintendents quickly learn to depend on each other for advice and assistance. We come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Whether the issue is school finance, human resources, social media, UIL activities, student services, bond elections or special programs, I never thought there would be a problem that at least one of my colleagues had not already navigated and would provide sound guidance and advice if asked.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved that thought wrong. No superintendent had previous experience with the coronavirus. There is no one we can call and ask, “how did you handle this during the last global pandemic?” As leaders, we are navigating a new path.

Never has there been such a prolonged interruption to every aspect of the educational experience for every single person. And never has there been any greater need for an inspired and comprehensive response to help our students, staff, parents and communities.

When I came to the realization that COVID was going to be here for a while, and with the knowledge I had at the time, my immediate concern was our students’ education. Students would miss weeks, even months, of school. There would be learning gaps we would need to repair. Student achievement drives our district, and my initial focus was to not allow our students to fall behind academically.

As COVID persisted and spread, the full impact of the pandemic was stunning. All norms, routines and activities have been disrupted. I became aware that people are hurting, and they are fearful, sad and anxious.

It was then my focus shifted. At Tomball ISD, we are not a big, impersonal school district. We are a home for people looking for a warm, close-knit community where, as educators, we truly care about each individual child. Therefore, the social and emotional health of our students and staff had to be my priority. We had to focus on the health of the whole person and minimize the pressures our students, teachers and parents feel.

Here a few “lessons learned” that have helped Tomball ISD move forward during the pandemic.

1) Grace Over Grades

The notion of extending grace may not come naturally in an educational setting when students must earn their class rank, must earn first chair, must earn their position on a team and where schools must “earn” their accountability rating. Yet at this place and time, grace over grades must be a priority.

People are unsure, uncertain and stressed. When our teachers were unable to teach a full lesson as they normally would, their stress levels soared. How can they build relationships virtually? How do they validate grades? How do they meet the high expectations they set for themselves?

Students are wondering how their graduations, class rank, college entrance, career certifications and internships will be impacted. They miss their friends and are fearful that at any time, the activities they love will be postponed or even canceled.

There is a ton of pressure on everyone. Why would we want to add more pressure to our students and teachers? Showing grace relieves pressure.

At the end of the school year, when we celebrate promotions and graduation, we will be just as proud of our students, even if they did a little worse than they expected.

Think about that accomplishment. Despite everything these kids went through, they made it. Their future is bright. They will be socially and emotionally capable of taking the next step, whether that be college, career or military.

Think about the accomplishments of our employees. We will have played a part of keeping our students from being hungry. We will have met their learning needs with blended, traditional or totally virtual methods. That is something of which we should be proud, and it all begins by extending grace.

2) Patience with Others and Ourselves

We are not always going to get things right the first time. Things are not going to be exactly as we want or expect them to be or how things have always been in previous years. We must have patience with everyone’s unique situation, including our own.

Think about a student or a teacher whose parent or loved one is in the hospital with COVID or who is struggling with the lingering aftereffects of this virus. There is a roller coaster of emotions that go into that.

We cannot expect anyone to be on her or his A-game in that situation. Patience will meet people where they are, and where they are will change every day.

A great example of our parents being patient with us is evident in their children’s online teaching and learning. Last spring, virtual teaching was not as good as we wanted it to be, but it is much more robust now than perhaps we were providing in late March.

Our students and employees are dealing with these other things related to the pandemic that have disrupted many of the personal things they enjoy. Eventually, something must give. If we are patient with ourselves and others, we do not have to reach a breaking point.

3) Remind Others of Their Love for Our Profession

I have a plaque in my office that says, “It is a rare person who can take care of hearts while also taking care of business.” There is so much “business” to figure out. We must not forget the hearts.

Even though education does not look exactly like it used to look, we still have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and employees.

Now, more than ever, is the time to show our hearts in outreach toward each other. We have to lift each other up and keep people focused and positive.

Our amazing Board of Trustees did a role reversal during Board Appreciation Month. Rather than accepting accolades and praise for their volunteer service as board members, they are making thank you videos for our staff, so our employees know our board appreciates their work.

We send virtual emotional pick me ups. They are opportunities to celebrate students or teachers who shine. These daily celebrations bring focus to positive things going on in our schools and our district.

Little things make a difference and help people feel better. Navigating the pandemic is just a little easier if there is something we can celebrate or smile about each day.

4) Connect Your Community

We pride ourselves on strong academic programs and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. Our focus is to make sure every student finds a place to belong, a passion to pursue and a love for learning. We connect with our community through these events.

Think about the number of events that, in a normal year, bring our stakeholders into our schools. Grandparents’ Day, PTO meetings, choir concerts, plays, honor banquets, “Donuts with Dads,” Veterans’ Day celebrations and many others are how our community connects with our district.

We must find a way to replace those events and connect with our community.

We found it so helpful to have virtual meeting opportunities for our parents who share common situations. Parents who have children in specialized programs (such as special education, dyslexia, dual language) need opportunities to connect with each other. Even if our doors are not open, we are open virtually.

As a superintendent, I had to be aware of my responsibility to connect in our community. It is important for me to be conscientious and intentional to pop into a virtual Chamber meeting and City Council meetings. Service clubs, like Rotary and Lions, are still meeting and need speakers.

In closing, I truly believe the academic accountability grade at the end of this will not matter. People will grade us as leaders on how we helped people develop the social and emotional skills to get through this and if we, despite the challenges, cultivate in our students a love for learning, that will serve them well beyond the years they spend with us.

For these and so many other reasons, Tomball ISD is not just a district but a destination.