Career path of an Associate Director of Professional Learning at Rocketship Public Schools

I was not an education major in college, which is pretty common in my career field. Even though I'm in education now, I went to UCLA and majored in history and art history. So, it wasn't directly related, and I didn't think my path would lead to education.

That was not what I was planning on. I ended up applying to Teach for America's 2008 corps in my senior year, with the deadline in May. I had no idea what I was going to do until then.

I was accepted to the New York City corps, where I taught sixth-grade social studies in the Bronx. I didn't know what I was going to do long-term with my career at that point. I just knew what I was doing from that moment onward.

After I finished my two years, I knew I wasn't done with education. So, I decided to stay in the classroom a little longer. I moved to a different school in the Bronx, wanting to get better at what I was doing.

I gave myself at least two to three more years to make a decision. I reached my fifth year of teaching, which was three years after that. I ended up moving to Kipp School in Harlem.

That was really different. It was a larger network with a very different culture and expectations. I finally experienced what real coaching felt like and real professional development sessions as a teacher. It felt very different, in a good way.

The professional learning opportunities really accelerated my own growth and the growth of the students in my classroom. It was mind-boggling that it took five years into this career for me to experience that. That really informed where I was going from there.

I moved into a Dean of Teaching and Learning role at my Kipp School, which is like an assistant principal. I learned how to effectively coach adults and design and execute professional development sessions that truly impact practice. I really enjoyed that role.

I realized that I love teaching, but it wasn't always about being in the classroom with students. It was about honing a teacher's craft, making them feel valued, and helping them achieve growth in their classroom. I wanted to be the person I didn't have for those first couple of years.

After working for about 10 years as either a classroom teacher or a school-based administrator in high-need schools, often in turnaround environments, I felt like I was on the edge of burnout. I didn't want that to happen, knowing what burnt-out teachers and administrators look like.

I also knew I needed more flexibility with my days, which is hard in a school-based position. I started questioning the tactics, policies, and general approaches of larger charter management organizations like Kipp. I wanted to learn more about the research on teaching, learning, and organizations.

So, I decided I was ready to go back to California, where I'm from. I applied to a one-year, full-time graduate program at Stanford. I moved back to California, and the program was called Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies at the School of Education, also known as POLS.

I was fortunate enough to take a year off from working and fully immerse myself in research. I talked to experts, learned about education policy, and met really great people with different experiences and interests. It helped me immerse myself in the education world in California, which is very different from New York.

That's where I met people and gained the most context, so it was very helpful. I did my Master's project on effectively coaching and supporting new teachers, based on action research I conducted at a nearby high school. That helped me hone my focus moving forward.

I graduated in 2019 and started a new role as Director of Curriculum and Instruction at an academic summer camp company. It was based in the Bay Area but operated throughout the United States. This was not the best job for me.

I learned a couple of things. It was my first time working in the private sector, focused on profits rather than students, which was hard for me. I found it difficult to become invested in the company.

Curriculum writing and review, a large part of my work, is something I'm good at, but it's lonely and tedious. I realized that just because I'm good at something doesn't mean I should do it. I didn't want to spend my days that way.

Honestly, it was pretty easy, which was a great contrast to my previous roles where I was always stressed. I was never stressed in this role, but I got bored. I realized I need more of a challenge to be fulfilled.

In July 2021, I started my current role as Associate Director of Professional Learning at Rocketship Public Schools. It's also a charter management organization, based in California with schools all over. I'm able to spend more time doing the type of work that fulfills me, aligned to the organization's mission.

I still have flexibility for a life outside of work. So far, almost two years in, it's going really well.