

A page of dedication to those special, longtime friends-and-colleagues without whom our career journeys would not be the same! Longterm, trusting, caring professional relationships are possible! Enjoy reading these testaments to enduring friendship among worthy educators. We'll add a new #edufriends story every day the month of February. Longterm, loyal, caring, nurturing, professional friendships are still possible!

I first met Melinda Lawson over a decade ago when I was a principal in Richmond, Virginia. While a single paragraph could never fully capture what she means to me, I can say that she has been my professional confidant and unwavering source of support for over ten years.
Early in my tenure as principal at Albert Hill Middle School, we connected when she served as a department chair in my building. We bonded over a shared commitment to excellence and a deep passion for creating environments where young adolescents could thrive.
We both found joy in the work - work that never felt like "work" because, as servant leaders, it was our privilege to serve. Together, we established high standards, hired and nurtured incredible staff, scaled impactful programs, and worked to bridge the divides in a community that could sometimes feel like a tale of two cities.
Through long days and late nights filled with problem-solving, strategizing, and celebrating victories, Melinda became much more than a colleague - she became a sister in this work. We've laughed, cried, and triumphed together over the years, and my appreciation for her runs deep. I count myself incredibly fortunate to champion this cause alongside her.
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Shanté Knight
A Worthy Educator


Janice Bradley is a trusted friend, a leader, an inspiration, and a sister. She first came into my life about thirteen years ago through the Learning Forward Foundation. Her brilliant mind and skill as a researcher and writer, coupled with her open-minded, compassionate, welcoming spirit drew me to her immediately. Collegial conversations evolved into a deep, lasting relationship that is a cornerstone of my personal and professional lives.
I deeply admire her for so many reasons, it is a challenge to capture them all. Here are just a few ways that she has been my North Star, my trusted confidant, my coach, and my friend:
★ She is a transformational leader who ensures that all voices and ideas are heard. In doing so, she lifts others up to greatness.
★ Janice is deeply curious and her growth mindset is inspiring.
★ Her sense of joy, love of learning, and belief in empowering others radiates in every interaction.
★ It is a rare gem to find someone like Janice who truly listens, asks thoughtful coaching questions, and provides resources and support.
★ Janice inspires me to dream big and believe in myself in ways that I had never imagined possible.
Our relationship has evolved to the place where we are writing together, and it is such a treat to spend time co-creating and cultivating a space of hope and collective brilliance to share with others. Having Janice in my life has brought immeasurable joy to life’s journey. Whenever I count my blessings or focus on gratitude, the gift of her immediately comes to mind. I am eternally grateful for her support, kindness, brilliance, collaboration, and positive energy. Janice lights up every room.
My fervent wish is that everyone can find their Janice, and be invited into a relationship that epitomizes the connection in this quote from Brené Brown, enabling them to thrive and reach the potential beyond their wildest dreams.
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Heather Lageman
A Worthy Educator


Dr. Corlis Curry, my principal for four remarkable years, has been one of the most influential figures in my professional journey. Her leadership, rooted in trust and empowerment, gave me the freedom to grow in ways I never thought possible. I vividly remember her saying, “I know my best people will outgrow my organization if I do my job as a leader.” Those words stayed with me because they reflected her selflessness and deep commitment to fostering growth in others.
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Together, Dr. Curry and I led the building of an arts integration program that transformed our school into a glorious, colorful, and child-centered space where the arts truly oozed from the walls. It became a place of joy and creativity, inspiring the whole school community. Those four years working under her leadership were the happiest and most fulfilling of my classroom teaching career. Her trust and encouragement allowed me to thrive in ways I hadn’t experienced before, and I will always cherish that time.
Since our time working together, Dr. Curry and I have often met for lunch or brainstorming sessions to dream up ways we can still collaborate. She remains a humble force of inspiration. When I once told her how much credit she deserves for my professional success, she brushed it off, insisting my achievements had nothing to do with her. But that simply isn’t true. Her belief in me set the foundation for everything I’ve accomplished. Through me, her impact extends to countless teachers and students—a legacy that I find truly remarkable.
Dr. Curry also inspired me to keep going during moments of frustration and exhaustion. She always seemed to know just when I needed encouragement or a gentle nudge to persevere. Her calm, composed demeanor was a perfect complement to my own creative energy and ambition. While I often thrive on bold ideas and big-picture thinking, she brought steadiness and clarity, ensuring those ideas could come to life in meaningful ways.
One of the things I’ve always admired most about Dr. Curry is her unwavering commitment to her values and ethics. She leads with integrity, and that example has guided me in my own work. I strive to embody her authenticity and strength in all I do. Dr. Curry’s influence reaches far beyond what she may realize, and I hope she knows how deeply grateful I am for her leadership and friendship.
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Amanda Koonlaba
A Worthy Educator

When it comes to longterm relationships, I immediately think of my sisters who are also educators: Alina Taylor and Amber Taylor. I am fortunate to have them in my family, though it can be a bit intimidating when we get together. While, of course, we have shared bonds that extend past our occupations, being a teacher is a large part of our identities and we LOVE to talk about it!
There’s something so comforting about talking to people who have been with you through all the waves of new technology and strategies that come through our world. We can reminisce about the days when we wrote on projector transparencies, debate about our current understanding of AI platforms, and visualize what we hope education will look like in the future.
I appreciate that whenever I need advice or an opportunity to vent, they are willing to listen and offer support. It is so wonderful to share my successes and failures with people who are in the field but not necessarily in my day-to-day. We each have our own location, specialty, and goals. Yet we are able to jump right in and have some real talk, knowing that we share the same values and can learn from each other’s experiences.
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Apryl Taylor
A Worthy Educator

I smile whenever I think about the professional relationship that I had with Dorothy Strickland for more than 30 years. Because of her grace and generosity, Dorothy met with me monthly when I was Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for New Brunswick, New Jersey Pubic School District and she held the prestigious position of Samuel D. Proctor Professor in the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education (RU-GSE).
Our relationship began with a telephone call from Dorothy when she knew that she was coming to RU-GSE. She telephoned to say that it was one of her core values and an essential condition in accepting the RU-GSE position to know that she and I would work as colleagues. Can you imagine how surprised, how flattered I was that the internationally lauded Dorothy Strickland would make working in New Brunswick school classrooms with teachers a prime condition of her accepting a position at Rutgers, The State University? Come she did! Dorothy came to RU-GSE and she came to New Brunswick classrooms on a regular basis (meaning multiple times every year for twenty years). In addition to her work in classrooms and with teachers, Dorothy met with district supervisors of instruction and with school principals.
Of great value to me was our private conversations. In these conversations we talked about the challenges of leadership. We talked about books that she was reading for her professional growth and the novels that were her favorites and those that she was reading. I listened and made reading lists for myself. From these conversations a personal relationship developed that included invitations for me to enjoy tea with Dorothy in her home. In turn, I invited Dorothy to join me for arts performances at regional companies located in New Brunswick: Crossroads Theater Company, George St. Playhouse and American Repertory Ballet Company. Dorothy loved these experiences, and of course, I loved introducing her to artistic directors and Broadway and other world class performers.
A pinnacle moment came when Dorothy gave me permission to write about her in a small book that colleagues and I published. The title of the book is Beloved Educators, Women of Color Who Inspire Us. To my great pride and joy, Dorothy Strickland attended the launch of this book. She mingled with guests, signed book copies, had her sons in attendance and enjoyed the celebration. With grace and generosity that stretched far beyond my imagination during that first telephone conversation, my relationship with Dorothy Strickland was a blessing from God. Dorothy Strickland will forever be my beloved and Worthy Educator.
Penelope Lattimer
A Worthy Educator

Leadership is about relationships. Regardless of the role we hold, it is clear that we listen to and follow people because we trust them. We know that they respect us and care for us. I was fortunate to work with many people who went the extra mile and who followed my leaps into the unknown. And the best followers were those who often pushed back even as they leapt with me.
In particular, I reflect on one colleague, Barbara Thomson, whom I trusted deeply. Part of the reason why I had such faith in her is that she would tell me when she disagreed with me. Titles and hierarchy didn’t get in the way of her integrity. Her candid, “But Tom, have you thought of…” or “Are you sure??” questions caused me to stop and reflect and, often, led to a continued dialogue and a better solution. Or she would say, “OK, I will do this, but I don’t think it’s a good idea and I want you to know my thinking…” An important part of her having my back was by her telling me things that I needed to hear even if it wasn’t pleasant for me. She did it well, but she did it. Our relationship helped me be a better leader.
Tom Hoerr
A Worthy Educator


The person that immediately comes to mind when asked to identify a longtime colleague whose friendship I value very much is my friend Anissa (Nessa) Brown-Dennis. We first met over 25 years ago when I was a brand-new music teacher and Nessa was an assistant principal in my school. Not only was she supportive of my work as a teacher, but also took the time encourage me to think about my future as an educator and the explore the possibility of pursuing leadership positions. When she took on a principalship, she intentionally and thoughtfully engaged me with increasingly intense leadership opportunities with which she provided highly effective coaching and feedback. Nessa has a wonderfully unique way of challenging me to do things I think I can’t do while simultaneously giving me the confidence and inspiration to actually do them. Despite moving into a demanding cabinet-level position in another school system, Nessa continued to connect and inspire, which helped me to enjoy a middle school principalship and my current position as an executive director. Just recently, something happened that I could never have expected. Nessa “retired” and came back to my school system as a specialist in the central office. Folks new to a central office position are automatically given a mentor. Imagine how surprised we both were when we found out that I was assigned as HER mentor!! My mentor now mentors me through the eyes of a mentee and I am just as challenged and inspired now as I was some 25 years ago. Thanks, Nessa!
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Doug Elmendorf
A Worthy Educator

Susan McCray was the first person I hired when launching a new high school in Portland, Maine in the spring in 2005. Her presence exuded, without trying to, “I am a teacher who inspires.” She was also the first staff member I phoned last June when I made the heart-wrenching decision to step away from the principalship after 19 years. Just hearing her voice answer the phone was enough to make me breakdown and start blubbering. And my blubbering was enough for Susan to know exactly why I was calling. For 19 years, Susan was our visionkeeper, my visionkeeper. She embodied our school’s noblest aims; she believed fervently that her students - and our school - could do more than we thought possible - and then she worked with relentless skill and love to make it happen. Her bold faith in humanity pushed me to be a better leader and sometimes, wisely, shoved me out of the way. During the rare times when Susan was down, my job was to remind her of who she was and what she had done - and will do once again. After collaborating on countless projects, rituals, events and student issues, we got to partner together in a new way this past fall. We co-taught some professional development for a high school in New Hampshire. It was a reminder that Susan is always someone you want in your sandbox: inventive, generous, fun and wise. And you’ll end up with one helluva sand castle, the most beautiful you’ve ever seen. Till her next one. I look forward to our next playdate together.
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Derek Pierce
A Worthy Educator


Kim Austin has been by my side as my greatest mentor and coach from the very first day she hired me fresh out of college. She has presented me with opportunities during all of those 13 years that have challenged me to become the person I am today. She's been there for my highest of highs and my lowest of lows. I am who I am today because of Kim Austin.
There are so many favorite stories with Kim. The greatest came in my first year teaching. She stopped by my classroom and asked if I could stop by her office during my planning time later in the day. Now for a first year teacher, that is a terrifying, gut wrenching feeling waiting to find out why she wanted me to stop by. Long story short, she was taking me to the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. This trip inspired us to create an entire social-emotional learning experience for the kids of our school. This was one of many incredible opportunities Kim granted me. Perhaps the greatest memory of all is of Kim simply showing up for me in tough times when she probably had a thousand other things to do.
Kim, Thank you for always being there for me. From the very first day you called me on a Sunday morning the day after I graduated college to ask me to visit your school in Virginia to all these years later, you've always been there for me. You've encouraged me to always reach higher and to always stay true to who I am.
Thank you.
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Dan Reichard
A Worthy Educator
