Kent City — There are two important things you should know about Julie Scott as she settles into her new role as assistant principal at Kent City Elementary School:
First, she knows this school, and this district, really well. As in, she attended grades 1-12 in Kent City and is a proud member of the Kent City High School class of 1989.
“To be back here is oddly nostalgic and it feels like home in a way I can’t describe. I keep waiting for that time when it doesn’t feel like I’m coming home when I come to work, but it hasn’t happened yet. And to be here also getting to assist my mentor and my friend (Principal Pam Thomas) is pretty exciting, too.”
Second, you have Scott’s husband to thank for her career in education. As she describes it: “I was a piano teacher in this area for about 10 years, and my piano studio grew and grew and grew until finally my husband said, ‘Why don’t you go get a teaching degree and move out of our living room and out into the world instead?’ … And so I did, and I was pleasantly surprised at how just the right people and the right doors opened up. He really was right about the whole thing.”
Read on to learn more about the new assistant principal, who joined the KCE staff at the beginning of October:
Other positions you have held in education: Scott was a teacher, instructional coach and then principal for Tri County Area Schools’ Sand Lake Elementary, and later served as principal of Tri County Elementary after the district merged two of its elementary schools.
Education/degrees:
- Associate degree in business, Ferris State University
- Bachelor’s degree in English language arts with a music education minor, Aquinas College
- Master’s degree in science and science education, Aquinas College
- Currently earning a doctorate degree in leadership, American College of Education
What would you like to share about your family? Teaching plays a big role in the Scott family: of their three kids, one is a special education teacher, one is finishing their student-teaching placement, “and as for my son, it’s just a matter of time before he realizes that he should be a teacher, too,” she said. “Every time I talk to him, I ask if he’s ready to get his teaching degree yet. I know a lot of people might discourage their kid from going into education, but I think it’s a great career and it’s still a place where you can really make a difference in a community.”
‘I keep waiting for that time when it doesn’t feel like I’m coming home when I come to work, but it hasn’t happened yet.’
— Julie Scott, KCE assistant principal
Why did you want to become a school administrator? “When I was an instructional coach, I really enjoyed that work — helping to support teachers so that they could get to the work that was most important when working one-on-one with students. I feel like I just have the kind of personality and talent that could open up doors for teachers, and make a difference for kids by helping the people who help them.
“In the future, I would really like to work with new principals who are developing their leadership skills, or aspiring to become principals, to help them become instructional leaders and make sure they’re focused on the right work to be effective.”
What was your favorite grade when you were a kid? “I really enjoyed second grade; I had a wonderful second-grade teacher who stayed connected with me through to when I was an adult. She was always very supportive and helped me grow and develop as a human being. I still look back fondly and appreciate that she put her focus on helping kids figure out what their talents were and (how to) become more of who and what they were.”
What book, podcast or TV show have you been loving lately? “Honestly, I don’t know, because everything I do, every spare minute is wrapped up in (working on) that doctorate. I guess right now I’m really into comparing school audits, because I’m taking a school finance class. Last night, I read through a whole bunch of dissertations about how funding links to student achievement … At least I’m learning good stuff!”
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? “A good coney dog, for sure! As a kid, I had relatives that lived on the east side of the state, and we would stop at several coney dog places on the way there. So I think that’s the perfect food.”
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from kids in your education career? “Have fun. Enjoy the moment and appreciate the people that are in that moment. Life is more about the people, and the fun you have with the people, than it is about most anything else.”
Read more from Kent City:
• Elementary attendance pledge signals commitment to learn
• First-year teacher wants students to know ‘You can have fun while learning’
