Godfrey-Lee — Julia Bierema is now the site supervisor at East Lee Campus, the district’s high-school alternative learning environment.
Since joining the district in 2020, Bierema — previously Godfrey-Lee’s district innovation coach and Godfrey Elementary’s secondary instructional coach — said she has thrived working with staff and students in the Godfrey-Lee “fami-LEE.”
“I love that our district is full of supportive people that care about one another and our students,” she said. “We are invested in trying to support every student and committed to finding ways to support and include our families and community.”
After East Lee’s former site coordinator Justin Noordhoek was named assistant principal at Lee High School, Bierema said she wanted to transition into an administrative role to further serve and build relationships with her students and community.
“I loved working with my students in my past classrooms and walking alongside staff as an instructional coach, but I wanted to become an administrator to collaborate on and impact systems to further promote the goals of our students, staff and district,” she said.
SNN spoke with Bierema about her new role, her views on K-12 education and why she continues to serve Godfrey-Lee schools.
Education/degrees:
- Bachelor’s degree, mathematics and Spanish with a secondary teaching certificate, Grand Valley State University
- Master’s degree, educational leadership, GVSU
What would you like to share about your family? Husband, Jason, and three children: Adriana, 10; Olivia, 13; and Dominic, 15.
What are some of your hobbies or interests? “I love campfires, walking, reading, going to the movies, trying new restaurants and spending time with my family.”
What are you most looking forward to about working with East Lee staff and students? Bierema said East Lee is special because the program offers project-based, virtual and traditional learning settings to meet students’ needs. The smaller environment also allows Bierema and her staff to work together to support students individually.
“I love that our building approaches learning by trying to meet the needs of the whole student. We have launched our Multi-tiered Systems of Support to support our students’ social-emotional and behavior needs as well as their academic needs. I’m excited to collaborate with our staff to give the opportunities to experience learning in a hands-on way through real-world applications.”
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from students? “Be open, inclusive and genuine. Everyone wants to feel accepted for who they are and to belong. Our students want to be active and engaged, but they need to feel like they are accepted, have a shared purpose and a sense of belonging.”
Name three great things about going into K-12 education: “The ability to positively impact and build relationships with students, staff and families; the opportunities to be innovative and collaborate on systems that help learners become successful members of our ever-changing world and society; (and) getting to see that ‘light bulb’ moment when you know that you have helped someone make a connection or made a lasting difference in someone’s life.”
Describe your leadership style in seven words or less: “Relationship-focused, empathetic, growth mindset, student-centered, collaborative, encouraging of innovation, and inclusive.”
Describe your perfect meal: “I am a coffee enthusiast, so a black coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts paired with a cake donut or one of the nutty ones from Meijer.”
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