Ep 97 | Who is the 2025 Principal of the Year?

SPEAKER_00 0:00

We were having a a game at school the other day and I was walking down the hall and the student didn't hear me and they said, I just love coming to school.

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Didn't they really?

SPEAKER_00 0:09

And that's what you want to hear, that they want to be there.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Because they don't have to.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

And so to be able to create, be a part of that, and to know that the parents are doing that and they're going to go home and say that. That's a joy. And then to know that sometimes I think the public forgets that our profession is the profession that gets to touch the lives and impact every profession.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Welcome to the Voices United in Education podcast. Each week we showcase the teachers, administrators, and community members who go the extra mile to contribute to the success of every student in Escambia County. You'll meet the real people behind the titles and learn about the amazing resources to support every student's success. We all know someone that helps things click. The person that can put into plain language something you've toiled over for hours. The kind of person who doesn't just teach, they empower. My next guest is that person. Today she's going to share how she went from teaching her stuffed animals as a child to the honored position of 2025 Principal of the Year. Pensacola local, pushing forward, principal at West Florida High School, Ishii Shannon. Thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Thank you for reminding me, Meredith.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Did you have any clue that you were going to be Principal of the Year?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Not at all.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

None?

SPEAKER_00 1:33

None. I actually thought when one of the assistant principals came to my office, I was on a conference call, a very important call, and he interrupted the telephone call. So I raised my eyebrows and gave him the look. And he said, You need to get off of the call. I need you right now. So I really gave him the stare that we were going to have another type of meeting. And once he called me out of the office, I still didn't put two and two together. And then once we got out into the courtyard, the students were getting ready to go on their break time. They get a 10-minute break after the first block of instruction. And when I got out there and the students started handing me flowers and the band started playing. Oh my God. That's when I started going, wait a minute, something is going on. And then I saw my mom. And that's when I knew, wait a minute, this is a different kind of day. Why is she on campus? And that's when I figured out I saw the superintendent assign for principal of the year. Congratulations. They got me good. The entire school was in the courtyard. They got me they got me good. They did.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

I love that. Did you ever consider being anything other than a teacher growing up?

SPEAKER_00 2:39

I did not. I started off, as you said, teaching my stuffed animals from when I was four years old. And um I just wanted to always teach. And I didn't realize at the time, I thought I just wanted to teach. Now that I've gotten a little older and done this for a while, I realize that my calling is to make a difference and to make an impact in the lives of others. And that's what I enjoy doing each and every day. Making sure that when I get home with my family, with those that are I'm around, have I made their lives better? Have I made a difference in someone's life today?

SPEAKER_02 3:10

What's the difference to you between being a teacher and making someone's lives better?

SPEAKER_00 3:15

When you're a teacher by trade, what people think about is you know content and then you are giving someone and making them better and learning a specific content. That is what your certification is in. But what you're really doing is while you're giving that content, you're making someone's life better. You're making them a better leader. You're trying to make a positive influence on them to make them a better person. And in a classroom, you're doing that with a young person. As a principal, you're doing that with a young person. But then you're also doing that in the lives of the other your colleagues, other adults that you're working with inside the building, outside of the building, with your stakeholders in your community, making sure that you're living your life as an individual in the world of education to empower and make an impact on the lives of other individuals.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

So it's more of an identity.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

It is.

SPEAKER_02 4:05

So how did you get here? What was your path?

SPEAKER_00 4:08

I started off again as an education major. I started off as um from what as a child or start off actually in school? Um, in school. In school, I double majored in history and English education. And I went from there and I started teaching. I started teaching in private school industry. Then I moved into tutoring when I we started having uh young people having children of our own. And I thought that I would be in the tutoring business forever.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

You loved it.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

I loved it. I loved the impact of being able to see where a child struggled and something academically and figuring out what that barrier was, and then being able to help that young person identify that barrier and learn the specific skills or tools that was, and whether it was in reading, whether it was in math, study skills, speed reading, ACT prep, helping that student uh overcome those uh barriers in their skill set and become better in that area. So I did that for about 10 years. And then once I realized that that was not going to work out, I was going to try to go ahead and um obtain a franchise of my own. And when that did not work out, I said, well, maybe I'll go back into the classroom. This my children were getting older and I needed a schedule. The tutoring business, you work in the evenings and on the weekends. And so I needed a schedule where it was going to be more of the schedule what they were going to have when they went to school. So I decided to go back into the classroom. And I said, I'm done with the business world, I'm done with administration, I'm going to just teach. That's what I'm going to do until my kids get out of high school, and then maybe I'll do something different, go back into tutoring. So I went back into the classroom, started teaching English again, really enjoyed it and enjoyed the students, went into public education, and came to Escambia County and enjoyed working there. And when I started teaching, met a great group of teachers at Pine Forest High School, is where I got started. And so I went into the English department, moved into the reading department, and started helping students that struggled with their reading comprehension skills. Well, that was what I had done for the last 10 years working in the tutoring business. And so it was a natural fit for me. I could just look at a student and I could figure out from their scores, okay, we need to work on this skill, we need to work on that skill. And so the students' growth started happening rather quickly. And the administration there at the school saw the growth of the students and their test scores and how quickly they started to succeed. And they said, Well, why don't you work in the reading department? And then I started working and moving into leadership into reading. And why don't you work on the literacy team? I said, I don't know about this. And started working with the literacy team. And why don't you lead the literacy team?

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Now, whose voice is that? Whose voice are you imitating?

SPEAKER_00 6:48

I'm imitating the principal of the school at that time. He is now the principal, ma'am, say his name? Yes. Mr. Frank Murphy. Mr.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

Frank Murphy. Mr. Frank Murphy. You need to know.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

So Frank Murphy, I love you, Frank. So why don't you be in charge of that team? So then I went to the uh literacy leadership team. And then um he said, Have you ever thought about going into administration? I said, Hmm, here we go. And I said, Well, I had done that for a while, but I just want to teach. And that's what I thought I was. I'm just going to teach for a little while. My children were young. And um, the teachers, I started working with them. And hey, can you help me in my classroom? Can you do it? So that's well, I'm just going to be an instructional coach. He said, We have an opening for an instructional coach. Why don't you become an instructional coach? Okay, I'll do the instructional coach. I'm just going to be an instructional coach. I'm good with being an instructional coach. And then working with the faculty there at the school, and we just had a natural bond, and it was a good chemistry, and we worked very, very well together. And then he started saying, Well, why don't you go over to this school? And we're going to have a we're going to start working on positive behavior systems in our school and making sure our students know how to have appropriate behavior. Um, why don't you go to this school and work with that principal and learn how to do so? Then I started going outside the school and I said, Okay, I see where this is going. And we started having conversations. And from him, I learned he just saw that in me, that he thought that I could become that leader. And he had the courage to push me in ways that I didn't see in myself. I thank him for that even to this day. And um, we still speak almost, I know every week, if not every day, almost every other day. And I still see him as a mentor. And from him, I've learned to see that leadership and that growth in other people, and to not be afraid to pull that out of other people because sometimes it's uncomfortable when you know someone is seeing that growth in you and they're pulling that out of you, not to be afraid to take those steps because when you're taking those steps, you have to be willing to embrace failure because you're not going to get it right the first time, and to have someone that's willing to believe in you to allow you to fail, and then to take you aside and mentor you and show you where you misstepped and how to get back on track. And he was never afraid to do that with me. So, yes, Frank, I did see that you were trying to help me. And yes, I do try to still instill that leadership, then multiply that in other people to this day. And so he did that for me. And then he said, Well, why don't you take a step and grow in leadership? And um, so I did. I had to talk to my family to see because I knew from being in the business world, if you take that step, everyone has to be on board because there's long days, there's long nights. And um, my family was when I did that before in this in the business, in the tutoring business, the children were very small, but now they're older, so I knew I would need help at home, and they were on board with that, and so I took that leap and went into administration and then became an assistant principal and went to Scambia High School, was an assistant principal there, and um, and then Frank Murphy and I were able to be together there for a small period of time for about nine or ten years, and then after Scambi High School, uh, we had the privilege of becoming the principal at West Florida High School and loved every moment of that. And so that's my story.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

There are so many layers to your story from start to finish. You're deep in the world of education now, and on so many levels. What do you feel people outside of that world misunderstand about it?

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Sometimes I believe it's lost that we have to remember number one for me, I count it as a joy and a privilege that people have their most precious gift, their child, and they leave their child with me each and every day. And that we get the honor and privilege of being able to create an environment of joyous learning where the children get to come to school and have fun and learn. And the goal is for them to have fun and learn, even though sometimes, again, now we're stretching them, so sometimes they don't see it as joyous learning, but that they get to go home and be excited, talk about what they learn, and then say, I get to go back. We were having a a game at school the other day, and I was walking down the hall and the student didn't hear me, and they said, I just love coming to school.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Didn't they really?

SPEAKER_00 11:13

And that's what you want to hear, that they want to be there because they don't have to. And so to be able to create, be a part of that, and to know that the parents are doing that and they're gonna go home and say that, that's a joy. And then to know that sometimes I think the public forgets that our profession is the profession that gets to touch the lives and impact every profession. Because a lot of times we are in the hot seat. We're the hot topic in the news, we're the hot topic in um in Tallahassee or in the federal government in Washington, and a lot of decisions are being made about our profession outside of our profession. But we're the profession that impacts everyone for years and years to come, whether people see that as something positive or not. But sometimes I think that's lost. And so it's a calling each and every day because we put so many hours in, even outside. People think we get to just sit by and there's fun times, of course, in the summer, but teachers are lesson planning during the summer. They're thinking about how can I be better and getting ready for the next school year. It's never ending. Because teachers do look at that classroom and they look at each and every student as if that were their own child, and wanting to make sure that they make that impact for years and years to come.

SPEAKER_02 12:27

What struggles do you find yourself experiencing as a principal that you didn't experience as a tutor or as a teacher?

SPEAKER_00 12:39

I would say now, especially coming after um the pandemic, there's been a lot of differences. We're still dealing with students who are doing very, very well, and of course, young people are resilient. But we're still dealing with students that have been in isolation, that were in isolation for quite some time, and getting them back into uh learning what I'm calling right now to meet students in the current moment and seeing them as opportunities as we move forward. We learned a lot. We learned a lot how to use technology in new and meaningful ways, but technology can never be the all-all and end-all in teaching education. You can never replace that person, being able to uh provide an instruction for young people. So learning that we picked up a lot of good things, but making sure that we're still being social and interacting with each other, and we can never replace that human connection. So being able to lead students out of uh the isolation that they had, and then also leading students through grief and loss. I never thought when I started in education, I've been in this a long time, 1996, 94, 95, 96, somewhere in there, but I never thought I would be in a time in education where I would be dealing with young people with so much loss of loved ones through that time period. So being able to deal with them, dealing with so much grief and loss for people so young is was a challenge and is a challenge. And dealing with that with young people, also with adults. How do we all move through this together? This is a new way for us to unite, and not a way that we necessarily want to unite, but this is where we are. So how do we meet with each other in this moment?

SPEAKER_02 14:25

Yeah, it's a different kind of common ground.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Yes, and how do we move forward and move forward? It's not something necessarily that's positive, but how do we try to find the good in it and move forward together as a as a school family?

SPEAKER_02 14:40

Do you have a particular philosophy or approach that helps you in the middle of those challenges?

SPEAKER_00 14:48

As a woman of faith, what I believe is the circumstances that I am in, whether that are the impact of what the choices I have made, or whether that have been given to me. Um I try to not take the stance of I'm a victim of those circumstances, but okay, God, these are my circumstances. Somehow, how do I accept this is working for my good and find the good in it and one day at a time, and sometimes it's second by second. Some of them are tough, and sometimes it's moment by moment, and sometimes being humble enough to say, I need help. This moment I need help, and then being able to move forward one step at a time, and then being able to just breathe and enjoy those moments, celebrate the small victories and move forward step by step, and then also being humble enough to share that moment because so often we keep those things inside, and we don't realize when we share that we're helping somebody else.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

It's interesting to me at the beginning, you talked about how teaching is an identity, and at the end, tragedy is a non-identity. You're a teacher and not a victim. So that's that's really fascinating uh insight into your perspective on the world. As we wrap up, what would you want people to know about Escambia County Public Schools?

SPEAKER_00 16:31

Escambia County Public Schools is a wonderful place with beautiful people that many, many, many people believe that this is a calling. And it's a great place to send your students to learn. And it's a great place to send your students if you want them to achieve. So look for those schools, look for those people that can make an impact. Because in turn, your students will learn and grow and then be able to make an impact in the lives of others for years to come.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

Well said. Thank you, Ishii.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

Thank you for inviting me here today, Merrick.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

If I've enjoyed it, thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe and share. Voices United in Education is a production of Escambia County Public Schools.