Marie & Rich: Best Friends Forever!

February is Heart Month at The Worthy Educator, honoring those special colleagues who make a difference in our lives and careers, celebrating how longterm, loyal, caring, nurturing, professional friendships enhance our experience as professionals!

Marie Adair pays tribute to Rich Flaim:

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”

-Harvey S. Firestone

Richard Flaim, as assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, and I had several conversations on the topic of professional development and the need to have a district-wide plan and process to lead staff to a better, more informed place in their careers. The central question that we asked ourselves was, “Why would staff want to follow us in pursuit of this initiative?” Our collective response was to lead educators into becoming their best professional selves! We realized that enacting this vision presented challenges but also created opportunities that would define who we and they are.

With tremendous support from Rich, we embarked on addressing the instructional and emotional needs of approximately 1100 professional staff in a Pre-K through grade 12 district. For me, this promotion was an honor and a challenge, an opportunity and a dream; professional learning was my passion.

For professionals, our purpose was anchored in a belief that all wanted to be the best teachers and leaders – that they wanted to become their personal and professional best selves. This involved knowing their content area and grade level curriculum as well as the accompanying effective strategies to deliver it in safe and emotionally healthy classrooms and schools.

Rich made the first steps possible, which created representative committees of teachers and principals at all grade levels who met with me to identify initial steps and needs. Identifying the best national presenters and in-district professionals was important and essential to the quality of this initiative. Much talent and knowledge existed within the district; staff were tapped to share and/or to lead conversations on effective practice. Learning was highlighted; requests from individuals were heard and accepted. All were participants on this journey.

Throughout this beginning, Rich approved schedules for planning and released-time for staff. The level of cooperation throughout the district was remarkable. The impact was audible and visible! Conversations in schools, teachers’ rooms, and at meetings changed and transitioned into discussions about practices and program materials that were effective and of quality. Principals conducted meetings differently and wanted to showcase their initiatives in a non-competitive tone and manner. District in-service days were planned by school staff with their principal; those days were viewed as valued and deemed important. Practitioners were being heard and were involved in planning their own learning that was continuous and enabled them to grow as professionals.

The culture and climate throughout the district changed!

Education is the profession of learning; educators are charged with developing minds and people. There is no greater privilege. Our ultimate design of meaningful ongoing professional learning was to increase student achievement. To realize this effect, it was also necessary to impact staff performance in positive ways. Together, Rich and I created a model that acknowledged talent, skill, knowledge, and self-worth toward a common responsibility and goal.

Throughout the year, updates on the initiative were presented at Board meetings. An unintended consequence occurred during a mid-year Board meeting when a Board member offered the comment, “. . . and don’t forget about us. How can we be involved in this process as well?”

Rich, thank you for the extraordinary experience of working with you. You have always represented a model of the finest principled-leadership anywhere. You were an excellent mentor – intelligent, caring, skillful, highly respected, thoughtful and focused. I admired your keen sense of knowing that always served to shape an idea into reality and often improved learning for me and for everyone. You led with mind and heart and wisdom, a rare combination. I am so honored to have followed you into the position of assistant superintendent, for your accomplishments served to advance the quality of education in Vineland, New Jersey and beyond. You have left your mark, and it is recognized and celebrated.

To realize one’s potential is the gift of a quality life. As I recount your impressive contributions to our profession over time, I hope that you, too, are in awe of the ways you chose to live out a life. I think that your journey really has been the destination. Thank you for all that you have shared with me. I will always treasure your professional conversations, friendship, delightful sense of humor, and unusual appreciation of the human spirit.

May “bests” Always be yours!

Sincerely,

Marie Adair

A Worthy Educator

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See our entire celebration of #edufriends and share your tribute to a special colleague or group of peers here so that we can honor you and them!