Invested in Building Strong Relationships and Fostering Strong Leaders

I first sat in on a Mark Rolewski session as a fifth grade teacher over a decade ago.  Mark gave a presentation to a group of administrators and teacher leaders in our district.  I was amazed at the wealth of knowledge and the ideas that this man presented.

As I moved into administration at a Title I elementary school, I was nervous to work with Mark at first because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing.  His opinion as an expert in the area of school improvement was so important to me.  Mark worked with the Title I schools that I served as Assistant Principal at regularly for five years.  As I worked with Mark, I realized that it wasn’t about having the right answers all the time; it was about discerning what is most important so that I could lead confidently and know that the time I spent  working to improve our school was time well spent. 

When I was named Principal of another elementary school, I knew that I wanted Mark to work with my teachers.  I wanted to share his knowledge with them.  What I realized as Mark worked with my folks was that he was invested in me as a leader.  With his help, I was able to bring a common language and understanding of the teacher evaluation system to my faculty. My work with Mark has been invaluable.  He has taught me how to affect change by being a sounding board and pushing me to grow in my own leadership.  I am forever thankful.   

Billy Millard
Elementary School Principal
Leon County Schools