It’s with bittersweet excitement that I share the news that I will be stepping down as CEL’s executive director in June 2025. Here’s my letter to the community about the decision and plans for the future of CEL and myself.
Dear Friends,
I am writing to share the news that I will be stepping down as Executive Director of CEL at the end of this school year. This is a decision I reached after many months of reflection. Beginning July 1, 2025, I will be returning to my passion for working side-by-side with educational leaders in the field. While I have truly valued the opportunity to lead the work of the passionate, dedicated team at CEL, this is news I am happy to share, and I’m excited for the future of CEL and myself.
I have worked with many of you over the past 16 years, and I remain as committed as ever to CEL’s vision, mission, and work. This decision wasn’t easy; I truly learned how to lead from CEL. My CEL journey began 22 years ago. At the time I was the proud principal of Tyee High School (Go Highline Public Schools!) and was quickly drawn to CEL’s vision of educational leadership and their approach to professional learning. Steve Fink and Anneke Markholt turned my world upside down as they helped me reflect on what it meant to really be a student-centered and equity-focused school leader. The importance of instructional leadership and the idea that “you can’t lead what you don’t know” was instilled in me and guides my leadership to this day!
I consider myself lucky to work with such incredible CEL colleagues, building upon the foundation that Steve and Anneke started. I am also lucky to continue learning from leaders and teachers like you, who consistently spark our imagination and propel our work forward.
Over the past six years, I am particularly proud of the work that my colleagues and I have undertaken together to grow and strengthen CEL’s work with leaders across the country. Here’s just a sample of what we’ve accomplished together:
- Supported the growth of leaders in more than 150 districts, large and small, across 30+ states
- Renewed and deepened our commitment to racial equity
- Revised our frameworks to be more student-centered and to more explicitly address racial injustice
- Worked side-by-side with students to create a guide to help leaders facilitate authentic conversations with students and developed a new framework focused on leading teacher professional learning
- Partnered with The School Superintendents Association (AASA) to support the learning of over 600 principal supervisors through the National Principal Supervisor Academy
For me, this change means returning to work side-by-side with leaders in the field. For CEL, this is an opportunity to welcome a new leader to our team. Our work is as impactful as ever, and our team is ready for new opportunities and fresh energy. I can’t wait to see what is next for our work and the CEL community!
Onward,
Max
