be, or how terrible it might be, I think you have to
remember that this is a human being with feelings
and if you treat a person with respect it goes along
way. People often comment to me afterwards that
they appreciated my honesty. If there's an issue, I
believe you go directly to the source. I think the
other thing that goes along with that is being fair
and consistent in how you treat people.
Head of Saltus?
in the School's history and a kind of statement, I
think, for the Saltus community, particularly in a
school where we are co-ed but have more boys than
girls. So I think that's a really important and
powerful statement that we have placed a woman
in charge of the School. But on the other hand, it's
a bit like when people ask me how I'm going to
make sure I provide for the girls at Saltus. My
answer is that I'm not--I'm going to provide for all
of the students, whether they're boys or girls. They
may have different needs, which we will accommo-
date and provide for, but I don't see it as being done
my position. I shouldn't be judged as a woman; I
should be judged as an effective school leader.
you do it? How do you balance motherhood and family
with a very challenging, full-throttle career?
keep calm and do it. Teachers often worry when
they get sick and are out of School. I say to them,
the funny thing is, the School is still standing--
even though you've been out for two days, we're
still here and nothing terrible has happened!
Which is to say, you have to be realistic. I love my
job; I wouldn't do this if I didn't. I think Saltus is
a wonderful school, and certainly for me and my
family it's the most fantastic opportunity we've
been given. It's also a huge responsibility. If I stop
too long to think about that, it could make me
quite nervous, so it's good I don't have time to stop
too long! You just do as a mother; you put your
children first and make sure they're well cared for
and happy and you do the same here at work--you
put the children first. In all of my decision-making,
I put the needs of the students first and then you
woman who
is passionate
about the
School. She
understands
where we
were and
where we
want to be--
and has a
plan to keep
us on that
path. She
also believes
in the
importance
of parental
involvement,
transparency
and commu-
nication'