In March 2024, we hosted a webinar highlighting the journey of two educational leaders in co-creating and leading through a vision for student experience and learning.
Superintendent Matt Galley and middle school Assistant Principal Cristal Campos are partners from the Nooksack Valley School District (NVSD), a school district of about 1,900 students located in a growing rural community in northwest Washington state.
The first step for these leaders in co-creating a vision was to host listening sessions with students. NVSD School leaders used CEL’s Student Experience Story Guide to guide these sessions. “We were listeners providing safe spaces for students to share feelings, thoughts, and beliefs,” explained Cristal.
Matt and Cristal discussed the importance of focusing their listening sessions on students who are least well served at school including multilingual learners as well as Latinx and indigenous students.
Reflecting on the work, Matt explained, “We’re engaging in racial equity work, but we’re doing it through the lens of dignity and belonging, happiness and pride and being all you can be.”
If you’re interested in learning more, check out the webinar. Learn more about Leading Equitable Schools professional learning.
