Danny Flannery is a 1st/2nd grade teacher at Mission Hill School. He also works as a teacher-powered ambassador.
Mission Hill School, a Boston Public Pilot School, opened its doors in 1997 with one principal, Deborah Meier, and over the first decade of the school’s existence it had a variety of leadership structures—always rooted in democratic governance and school-wide decision making by staff. Ayla Gavins has served as the principal of Mission Hill School for t
he past twelve years, and will be leaving her role at the end of this school year. She will be replaced by two Teacher Leaders who will take on the responsibilities of the principal going forward.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Danny: For anyone who has worked as a school administrator or has worked closely with one, you get an appreciation for how multifaceted, time consuming, and just plain overwhelming the job is. The first question I have is a simple one, but I just wanted to give you the opportunity to pause and reflect: With about three months left in your role as principal, how are you doing?
Ayla: I am laser-focused in some ways and really unclear in other ways. In terms of laser-focus I find myself being more critical because I want to make sure that I’m not leaving our school with any “I wish I had” thoughts, and I’m also really unclear because there are so many great things about this school. It is just an amazing community and the more I travel, the more I see and know how special this place is, and so it’s not an easy place to leave. At the same time, there have been many times before I decided to move on when I thought other people should experience this role, so I’m happy that it’s happening.
….Click here to read the complete interview with Ayla Gavins on the Teacher-Powered Schools website.