Wyoming — Dana Stein is the new principal at Gladiola Elementary School. SNN gets to know her in this edition of Meet Your Administrators.
Dana Stein brings her background in social work and education to Gladiola as a proponent of equipping students with the ability to reach into their own academic and emotional toolboxes to guide them successfully through the day.
“I’m very big into self-regulation and mindfulness. I’m all about the basic principles of being respectful, safe, kind and responsible and filling kids with the idea that they have the potential to be whatever they want to be,” she said.
‘I love the combination of social, emotional and academic pieces all coming together.’
— Gladiola Elementary School Principal Dana Stein
Here are some other facts about Stein:
Other positions you have held in education:
- School social worker at Chippewa Valley Schools
- First- and second- grade teacher in Chippewa Valley Schools
- Sixth-, seventh-, and eighth grade teacher at KEC Oakleigh
- Principal at Southeastern Elementary School in Hastings
Education/degrees:
- Master’s in social work with a school certification, Grand Valley State University
- Teaching certification, Aquinas College
- Bachelor’s in special education and master’s in education with a focus in Administrative Leadership, Saginaw Valley State University.
What would you like to share about your family? “I am the mom of three very active teens and we enjoy spending time together and are very much an outdoor family. We enjoy skiing, riding quads and playing games together.”
What is great about working in K-12 education? “Being a change agent and helping kids gain the foundational skills to help them flourish — those lifelongs skills that help them thrive. I love the combination of social, emotional and academic pieces all coming together.”
Your leadership style in seven words or less: “How about one word? Collaborative”
What drew you to Gladiola Elementary School and Wyoming Public Schools? “I think it’s the sense of community. I’m in awe of the leadership and the culture that’s here, not only in the school but in the district. There’s an automatic sense of belonging.”
Why did you want to become an administrator? “I think it’s the blend of both worlds, being a social worker and a teacher. It’s high energy. Every day is new. No two days are the same. it’s the best of both works, actually.”
Just for fun:
Dogs or cats: “Cats. I let my daughter get a cat. It’s become a member of our family.”
Your perfect sandwich: “Peanut butter on each piece of bread, sandwiched between a thick layer of grape jelly.” (She loves Uncrustables.)
Your first concert: Steve Miller Band
What book, movie, TV show or podcast have you loved lately: Outer Banks
What historical figure would you love to spend the day with? “John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy. I learned about JFK in elementary school and I have always been curious about their lives.”
Read more from Wyoming:
• Fourth-graders use their voices to lift up peers
• Crowning a ‘Mock Newbery’ champion
