Recently, I accepted the position of Principal of Secondary Schools at Cherokee ISD. Prior to coming to Cherokee, I have worked for high schools in the Houston area, Austin area, and most recently in Bandera. I have worked in both private and public education; well-to-do communities and those that were not. In all my travels as an educator across the great state of Texas, I thought I had a solid understanding of what a school should look and feel like. After a semester at Cherokee ISD, I have come to realize that I have been mistaken.
Cherokee is my first opportunity to experience school as a true community. I see all grade levels, K-12, on the black top every morning. I see all ages mixing it up over an intense game of Four Square or Knock Out. I have had the privilege of witnessing a high school older brother grab his fifth grade sister by the shoulders and tell her to have a great day today and then walk off to be with his older friends as she strolls into the cafeteria for breakfast grinning from ear to ear. These are small things, but they have made a huge impact on me. My experience in Cherokee has been so refreshing and encouraging. Over this last semester, I have grown in my understanding of school and community. Cherokee truly is a microcosm of what could be because we are better together.