Lindback Distinguished Principal’s Award Winner for 2022 Ms. Green
Tell us about your journey becoming a principal.
Green: I knew since I was 9, that I was supposed to be a teacher, I didn’t necessarily know that I was going to become an assistant principal and a principal. And I remember people saying to me, once you become an assistant principal, you’re gonna be so far removed from kids. And I was like, well, that’s the least thing that I want to happen, I want to be connected with it. So I found a way to keep that connection with young people as an assistant principal and as a principal.
There’s a character on the show “Abbott Elementary” named Principal Ava Coleman, who is seen as being detached from the struggles of her teachers. How do you connect with your teachers?
Green: The principal’s interesting. She’s just a little distracted by other things that are going on. But we are different kinds of principals in that I’m very hands on. We’re in the classrooms, we’re in the school yard, the lunch room, wherever you need us to be, we are there. We can’t be kind of aloof or distracted or overly silly like she is. It is more of a serious matter. But we do have fun times with our kids.
What do you plan to do with the $20,000?
Green: We have two new science classrooms that were completed right before the pandemic. We will have a STEM program, so science, technology, arts and music, all that kind of good stuff, which kids really need, so that they’ll be ready for whatever the future holds for them.
The school district aims to support aspiring leaders. What would be your message to a teacher on the fence about becoming a principal?
Green: I tell everybody, if this is something that you have aspirations to do, then you should definitely do it. This is not a thing where it can be about your ego. It is hard work. It is not a nine to five [job] — our product is people. And so if you have a desire to serve, and if you have a desire to work with community members and partners, and the teachers and the students, then this is something that you can do.