October 8, 2023 • 33 mins
Today, we're pulling back the curtain on education with Malcolm Harvin Connor, a principal with a vision. How can we prepare our children for the future? Malcolm believes the keys are reading, writing, and critical thinking, and he's not afraid to set high expectations. Whether you're in the classroom or on the school bus, Malcolm insists that everyone plays a role in creating an educational environment that you'd want for your own children.
Born in Nigeria and raised in the US, Malcolm brings a rich tapestry of experiences and challenges to his role in education. His immigrant mentality and firsthand experiences with poverty have shaped his belief that every child can be excellent. He refuses to lower his expectations, a stance inspired by the stereotypes he's faced about Africa. He has seen the power of high expectations firsthand, watching his first student triumph over adversity to graduate high school.
Service leadership forms the backbone of Malcolm's approach. Using lessons from his military experience, he prioritizes observation and communication to understand the needs of his school and community. He's not just committed to creating a legacy of success in his community; he's committed to creating a future for education that meets the needs of every child. It's a conversation that promises to inspire and challenge your perception of education. Listen in and join us on this journey with Malcolm Harvin Connor.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm gonna stop by saying this.
We're gonna do something that Ihaven't done in a very long
time, and that's the SneakerPrincipal Podcast Takeover.
So I'm here with Malcolm HarvinConnor.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Thank you so much for having me.
I really appreciate it.
It's a pleasure.
I'm here from Washington DC.
I'm currently a student atTeachers College at Columbia
University, go through theSummer Principles Academy.
The Summer Principles Academy,no, and you're the one who sort
of inspired me.
You inspired me to join, and soI'm so glad that I get the
opportunity to actually meet you, to be a part of this podcast
(00:36):
and this opportunity, because Ihave a lot of questions for you.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Listen you know what, let's get into it, all right.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I'm in a hot seat.
Okay, I hope you're ready.
I hope you're ready, and thenagain shout out to Zoha Nadim
and Fatima Hamlani.
They both helped me come upwith these and I know that
you're coaching them as we goover our internship going up.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
High expectations, though.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, they're amazing educators and they're a little
bit interested as well, as am I.
What is your vision ofeducation and how do you
navigate, sort of pushing yourvision of education while sort
of going through the red tape ofthe DOE?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So I'll tell you this I'm a father, I have a
two-year-old he's, he had athree-year-old son, four and a
half year old daughter, and whatI want for them is to be
prepared for the world.
Is that, is that simple?
So, reading, writing, criticalthinking, being able to make
(01:37):
meaning out of what they'rebeing taught, what they see in
the world and their firstteachers are, you know, me and
their mother.
But then at some point in timewe got to get them over to the
school.
So, knowing that they're ableto go through an education, to
receive an education that reallyexpands them and it's not a
(02:00):
vision, it's just what it shouldbe and unfortunately it's not
that it's not that simple.
So, as a principal, as a schoolleader, as a teacher, that is
what I push my teachers withinmy school.
One of the parents.
We're here to prepare yourworld, I'm sorry to prepare your
child to go into the world andconquer, not just survive.
(02:21):
So that question is is it aneasy question?
But it's also a tough questionbecause it's easier said than
done.
Yeah, you know I've said thisto people that the schools that
I lead my goal is to make surethat I'd be comfortable with my
children attending that school.
(02:42):
That's my standard.
If I don't feel that the schoolthat I'm working at or I'm
leading is good enough for mychildren, something's very, very
wrong.
So, with that being said, Iwould say this that's the vision
that I would have for everyschool that every school leader
can say this is good enough formy kid, this is good enough for
(03:03):
my child.
You know, as far as red tape inthe system systems always have
red tape, yeah, you know.
But the and I would never sayit's the issue of red tape, it's
an issue of leadership, it's anissue of and what I mean?
Leadership.
I'm not just talking about theprincipal teachers, the bus
(03:25):
driver, the cafeteria workers,the building security.
What are their expectations forthe children who are walking
through the doors of that schoolthat they're working?
You know, that is the thing.
A lot of times, people don'thave expectations, it's just a
job.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
No, I remember you saying when you had the
opportunity to talk that youknow I was talking about.
You know what about schoolsthat have, like, a health clinic
on their campus?
And you really said that comesdown to like the vision of the
leader that's there to likesupply those things and to push
for that to exist there, andwhen it's not there, that's
(04:02):
really an issue of the visionthat the principal is sort of
pushing for at their school.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
People want to blame that.
Oh, it's the community, it'sthis, it's the DOE or the public
education or the district.
But I'm like, if you reallywant that thing, listen, one of
my mentors in my head.
I've never got to meet this man, but I really appreciate him.
Jeffrey, canada, harlemstudents, I told you about him.
Yeah, you did, you did, and hesaid he came out of Harvard with
(04:29):
his master's in educationleadership, like you're pursuing
right now, like I have and said, okay, I have all these job
offers in all these places,think tanks.
You know, this is in the 70s.
You have this black man fromHarvard.
You know everybody wants him.
He says, no, I'm going to goback to Harlem, I'm going to
prototype this space where Isupport children from prenatal
(04:53):
through 16.
So before you even come intothe world, I'm working with your
mother, your father and all theprenatal stuff to make sure
you're healthy.
So when you're born, now we'redoing how to support you,
parenting wise and yourdevelopment.
Then we could then, now you arepre-K, kindergarten on the same
facility, Then go to school,high school, and when you
(05:16):
graduate, we're still checkingup on you to make sure you make
it to the other end.
That was.
That was one man's vision, youknow.
You know I'm not trying to bepreachy, but the Bible says you
know, we perish because weperish because we have no vision
, something like that.
We have no sight, and that'sthe thing you want to click in
your building.
I've never got it.
(05:36):
I've never went out and got aclinic in my building.
Right now, this building has aclinic in it, which is awesome,
but there's other things I wentout and got because I was like,
no, my school needs this.
Or when I was on my kids tograduate and get into college, I
had to do the work and find outwhat the musicians work with
and bring all the resources, andthat happened.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So remind me if I remember correctly, you came to
the United States when you were11 or 12, or originally.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I came here second grade Okay, third grade I was I
was diagnosed or labeled orhowever you want to call it, as
the word that was said to mymother is your son is mentally
retarded.
Back then there was a normallanguage.
This was like 82, 83.
(06:27):
My mother cried she was, andshe and we were immigrants here
and not a lot of money, and sheopted to just let's go back to
Nigeria.
I went back to Nigeria and shesupported me with tutoring and
everything else.
My parents were cheaper outthere and then we came back and
when we came back it was 1988,11, 1988, 6th grade.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So I'm sort of wondering how your experience as
an immigrant sort of informedyour vision of education and,
like what you want, added toeducational experience for kids.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So I'll tell you this .
So, having been here the secondgrade, third grade, in Los
Angeles, then, mind you, secondgrade, third grade, and now I
have to share this Before I camehere, we were in Saudi Arabia.
My father was a student inSaudi Arabia.
So Saudi Arabia, america, thenwe're back to Nigeria and I was
(07:21):
like whoa, this is different.
You know, I went to a reallygood school, but the school when
it would rain, you would haveto move your desks away from the
wall because it was literallycut out in the wall.
Yeah, so it was like, you know,chalkboard and like old desks.
It was like it was not what Isaw in Los Angeles, it was what
I saw in Saudi Arabia.
And then I stayed there,finished elementary school,
(07:46):
started the beginnings of highschool there and everything was
like not what I saw in America.
So I come back to America andall of a sudden I'm like back to
like lights and windows, ac'sand all that stuff.
And one of the things that Ialways thought about was like
this is interesting In Nigeriathe kids didn't play with the
(08:11):
education, school was takenseriously by everyone.
Come back to America and at thispoint in time it's middle
school and the teacher couldbarely teach.
Like, you know, like in Nigeria, the teacher walks into the
room, everybody stands up andsays good morning.
Then the teacher says, sit down.
Everybody sits down.
But you know, here, you knowkids are not teachers and
(08:33):
everything else.
And then kids are alsostruggling.
You know, kids can't read.
It was weird.
I saw my first, you know, firstyear that I saw there was
middle school that couldn't read.
I was confused.
How is that possible?
It's in Nigeria, everybody canread and the thing is the
(08:54):
stereotypes about Africa is likeyou know back where it's in,
struggling and everything else,but that's just the stereotypes
that they put out there.
Yeah, how that experience hasimpacted unless being an
immigrant or, better yet, havinghad an education in another
country impacted me was thatI've seen what you can do with
nothing.
I've seen what you can do inobject poverty.
(09:18):
You know where, literally, kidsare going to school no shoes on
, you know.
Then you come here, kids gotJordan's near feet, you know.
And you know, yeah, you might beliving in a project, but you
got light.
You know you might.
You know you might you might bepoor, but you got that EBT card
or the food stamps.
That's not in these otherplaces, but those kids come here
(09:42):
and perform better.
Yeah, a lot of it has to dowith the fact that people want
to say that immigrant mentalityis not immigrant mentality, it's
just societal expectation isdifferent.
But as an educator I have Ithink I have that can do like,
honestly, those deficit thinkingthat you have, even with
(10:04):
teachers.
I don't tolerate it.
Yeah, because I know I see whatcan be done with nothing and
even in the worst schools wehave a lot more the other other
societies and countries have.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Yeah, I'm really hearing you talk about, at least
from the teacher perspective,how there needs to be this
assumption that every child cansucceed.
Every child can, can.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
I'll go further than that.
Like I don't do the every childcan, every child will Will.
Okay, I tell students I don'tneed you to be perfect, I need
you to be excellent.
Think about this If I tell yoube perfect, that's an
(10:48):
impossibility.
I know it.
You know it Be excellent.
Tonight you have to sit downand say, ok, now what's
excellent for me?
And the thing is, we don't askour kids to be excellent, we
expect them to be perfect.
Then we say we need to believethat they can't.
No, every child can beexcellent.
(11:09):
We just got to pour into it andwe have to make that statement.
And we don't make thatstatement.
And I'll be honest with you, wedon't make that statement,
especially with black and brownkids.
No, for sure, for sure.
The expectation is that they'vealready lost and now we're
trying to save them.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, unfortunately, but yes, so I know that you are
sort of on the verge of possiblyleaving education.
I did leave, leaving education.
So what made you leave?
And then, on the flip side,what made you come back, what
made you decide that thispassion of yours was not
(11:50):
something that you were donewith?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So, to make a look story short, I left.
This was 22.
And this was three years ofprobably the hardest time in
education.
During the pandemic, yeah, Ibecame a high school principal,
(12:15):
and I became a high schoolprincipal in 2019.
And by 2020, the water shutdown, yeah.
And then I'm running a schooland again and this was my second
school, but it was a newexperience it was high school
now and I've been a high schooldean at AP, but now I'm running
a high school after running amiddle school.
(12:38):
So the matrices and all thosethings that you're measuring are
different for high school.
So I'm here trying to perfectmy craft around high school.
Then, all of a sudden, we'reonline.
Then I'm dealing with thestresses.
At that point, my son had justbeen born, so I have a newborn.
And what is this thing?
(12:59):
It's killing people.
Covid-19.
Kids are stressing out,teachers are stressing out.
All of a sudden, one child, twochildren, three children losing
parents, losing aunties, uncles, and all of a sudden, it was
like a year of trauma.
It was just a year long fuel.
Then I had teachers losing allthe ones.
(13:20):
Then a couple of my colleaguespassed away and it was just like
all these different things.
But at the same time, I refusedand maybe this is on me I
refused to back down on myexpectations for school.
In my core I was like, yes, wehave to show grace, we have to
be supportive, but we can't let,we can't not relent on pushing
(13:43):
out kids.
And we got to the followingyear where we had this weird
hybrid year.
Then we had we are coming backnow.
And when we came back that year2021-22, that summer my first
(14:07):
time sitting in the building,because I was remote the whole
entire time, because, again, Iwasn't going to put my son at
risk, because I didn't know whatwas going on and I walked into
the building and the firstperson I see is Anthony Lord,
and this was the first kid thatI met when I became principal.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
No way.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Remember that first kid, the first kid that you met.
Yeah, you never forget thatfirst kid Because your nerves
are like, oh, it's new schoolFirst kid, cool kid, come back.
That's the first kid that I see.
And now it's been almost twoyears.
I'm like yo, you got tall, it'sa senior year.
Sweet chat in the hallway.
(14:47):
He's like, yeah, I'm excited tograduate.
So I'm like yo, it's going tobe a great year.
And a couple of days later no,not a couple of days, no, it was
a few days later it was at atele in the summer school.
A few days later, I'm in themeeting with my staff.
We're sitting in the office.
(15:08):
Everybody has their masks, onphone rings.
I pick up the phone and it's mydeputy chancellor I'm sorry,
deputy superintendent and shesays, hey, you lost a kid.
I'm like what she's like, um,when her students was killed.
I'm like who she's like.
(15:30):
I think it's Anthony Lloyd.
I'm like I don't know who thatis.
My brain had literally shut,like that moment had shut down,
and I'm sitting there I'mthinking to myself who's?
Who's Anthony Lloyd.
And she's like Anthony Lloyd.
And obviously my brain said,okay, I'm gonna let you off the
hook.
You know, you know who he is,I'm just going in my brain, I'm
(15:52):
like no wayit was murdered, you know, in
Brooklyn.
And that's how we started theschool year.
You know, great kid, we startedthe school year.
Not only did we just go to thepandemic, but then we started
the school year one of ourseniors murdered.
So and then that, you know,it's just a couple year, yeah,
(16:12):
but at the same time I had thisthing in my head we had gone AP
for all as a school where everykid was sitting AP classes.
You know, black and brown kidsfrom some of the toughest hoods
in Brooklyn in this school.
Like no, we're gonna push you.
And we and we had a successfulyear.
100% of our seniors got in thecollege.
Like all got in the college andand then graduation I was
(16:38):
dreading graduation.
We got to graduation, the frontfirst seat was empty, flowers
and picture and everything else,and and then having to give his
mother his diploma.
It was so much yeah, and I wasjust like, yeah, I need to walk
(16:59):
away from this.
You know, because I don't knowlike I'll tell you, I don't know
how to just like take a break,yeah, I go 100%.
And just like I did, I was likeyou know what I decided, like
you know what I think I'm goodfor right now.
So an opportunity came up at atech company.
(17:20):
I went over there and and thenfunny thing, the funniest thing
happened once it passed by and Irealized I belong in the school
.
Yeah, I need, I need, I needthat break away.
Yeah, and and absence makes thehard-go fund yeah, but also
gives you clarity yeah yeah, butthe thing to, but more, more,
(17:43):
more, anything else I need, Ineed to rest, I need to break a
rest is big, and so I did, Irested, I wrote, I refocused and
as soon as I said, okay, I madeit come.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
This opportunity came up and and I'm here, okay, yeah
all right, all right, I lovethat and, you know, as principal
in training, you know I feellike we've learned a lot about
how the experience of startingyour own school versus going
into a school community that'salready established is like two
(18:19):
very different experiences, andso I'm sort of wondering, as you
entrance this new space, whatare some of the things that
you're thinking about andestablishing yourself in this
new community?
establishing myself yeah, likeyou're, you're a new face, a new
position.
You know I'm sure that you knowI don't know the history of
(18:42):
principals in this space before,but you're sort of filling new
shoes and people are sort oflooking to you to take on a
pretty big role in this newcommunity of it.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
It makes sense what one of the most popular thing
that I learned from spot some ofmy principal's academy I
remember when and I would saywas Dr Perkins he was.
It was, and I'm you by.
You confirm this, because thefirst summer the whole notion of
what kind of leader you want tobe he talked about and he had
(19:15):
all these things.
My brain works is when I focuson one thing everything it
doesn't matter.
And when I focused on what hesaid service leadership I was
like I've been in the militaryand all this stuff and I know
what it means to serve.
But the way he framed it, maybeit's just as baritone voices
where he was speaking he has away.
(19:36):
He has, a way he says he saidyou know that Christ, like
service, like you know when youknow you're here, this is who
you are, but you bring yourselfhere and under those that you're
serving to really serve themlike any hands and knees you do.
(19:57):
And for me, guess that is who Ibecame as a principal.
So I, I hope I want, when Iwant, the spaces, people since
my energy.
I'm here for one purpose, onepurpose only.
It's to make sure that yourchild gets everything they need.
Yeah, I tell families all thetime.
(20:18):
If I can ever be help officers,your family, let me know.
I don't have all the answers, Iknow.
I mean it's long enough.
I know enough people that I canfind the right person yeah, I
don't have the answer.
I know I'm I know someone whodoes exactly, and with OSG, no,
but, but, but that's a bit isvery true.
(20:39):
And and I was there on was that?
Was that Tuesday or Monday?
Yeah, tuesday, tuesday.
And when he went on Dr McKee'sand called out on, shout out, dr
McKeezy.
Yes, he called on the crew andthey by showed up and I, and
even I, was moved by thatbecause I realized even over the
course of my career, I'm notalone.
(21:00):
Yeah, so I'm able to callpeople and people answer.
But back to your question is doI?
I hope the way I move and whenparents meet me they're not
meeting the principal.
There's this notion of like youknow the student time you walk
out and all the sudden you talklike this so yes, I'm principal
in Joku and let me talk to youabout just so much.
Or someone's doing, not, son,I'm from, you know I grew up in
(21:22):
Eagle California.
You know West Side, you knowI'm hoping all blood hood, I was
in the military down south inthe Marine Corps, all these
spaces.
I'm a human being and all thesethings I quote in.
So when I meet people, I try tomeet them where they are, as a
human being.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
No, I think you're exactly right when it comes down
to the fact that we, asprincipals, are supposed to
serve.
Our goal is to uplift thecommunity, and in order to do
that, we have to engage with thecommunity, we have to build
rapport, we have to reallyunderstand the needs, which
can't happen without dialogue,and it's transformational
(22:05):
leaders who show up with theintention of asking how can I
serve?
Not, this is how I'm going toserve you.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
But what I'm going to add to that is this as well
Sometimes have you ever hadsomebody ask you, what do you
need, and you're like I don'tknow you might not know.
You might be like I don't knowhow to put it into words, but I
don't want to come off.
It's kind of crazy.
So people say, oh, I'm good.
The hard part of this all aswell is Can I add some to that?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I feel like it's also all the times that maybe
they've tried to say somethingand the people that they've
tried to tell haven't listened,so they've been trained that
them saying what they need isn'tgoing to get them anywhere.
To begin with.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Or, even worse, no one ever asked yeah.
So you're like, oh, what isthat?
But that's 100% valid.
You know, when you keep puttingout there, this is what I need,
and you're either ignored oryou're giving what you don't
need, you know, then after awhile you're like you're not
serious or I don't even know howto answer it.
(23:15):
I don't even know what I needat this point in time.
This is where learning,shutting up and paying attention
and learning, you know, when Icame so I started May 1st.
I could have waited untilsummertime, like most principals
, you know.
Come in, you know, stoppreparing for the new school
(23:37):
year.
A lot of people say, oh, I hatetaking a school mid-year.
It's tough, that's the besttime.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
That's the best time.
It's the best time.
Yeah, you're right.
I've never heard anyone saythat before in my life.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
So May 1st Okay, may 1st would.
Even if you think about it, may1st is probably the worst time.
Exems are over.
You're now in this stretch oflike people are not really
teaching anymore, and you knowthe kids are like, but you know,
and then everybody's goingthrough the motions.
Yeah, but for me, I wanted toget in here as soon as possible,
(24:15):
but I need to learn.
I play a touch to every singleteacher.
Kids and the whole watchinglisten to the rhythm of the
school.
What was it the loudest?
You know school safety securityofficers.
What was their tone?
You know, when parents walkinto the building, how were they
treated?
(24:36):
Did I have any disrespect forpeople on staff as far as how
they treat students?
How the staff spoke to eachother?
You know?
Speaker 2 (24:44):
I'm hearing a lot of social data intake.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Yes, yes, but check this out.
It was backed.
That was actually bookended.
It was the other end of thatbookshelf was me doing my desk
art.
I sat in the judge's office fora week and just went through
data at the school.
I spoke to people.
I spoke to people on the team.
(25:08):
I said you're the ELA pointperson for the district, so tell
me what's going on in thatschool.
I've seen your numbers here.
Has that always been like this?
I saw a jump.
You're the math person, tell me.
And people are telling melisten, going to that school,
you know we put these in theplace and it falls through.
And I'm not sitting there, I'mlearning, I'm learning.
(25:30):
Then they start dropping namesMr So-and-so, mr So-and-so.
I'm like oh, okay, so now I'min the building, oh, that's Mr
So-and-so.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Oh, you started putting names.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
I'm not making any judgment, I'm just like listen,
now I have quantitative datathat I've been studying, but now
that social input, gettingthose information in very, very
important Okay, because now, asI'm sitting here a month away
from the new school year, likenothing is left to be, left a
(26:02):
chance.
I know what I'm working with, Iknow what's here, you know, I
know personality types, I knowhow to deal with certain people,
I know who should be in whatclassroom, who should not be in
another classroom.
Come into a school as a newprincipal and you're just moving
pieces and you don't even knowwhat you're doing.
It's not that you don't knowwhat you're doing, you don't
know who you're moving.
I've had listen, listen.
(26:25):
I've seen things where I'm justlike, hmm, interesting, I've
had teachers who got into it.
I'm like, so how long I've justbeen going on all year.
Nobody did anything about this.
You know, and you start to see,oh, this teacher's a bully,
okay, and not just the school,it was over the course of my
career.
Or this teacher, you know, orthis administrator, or this, and
(26:46):
you start to move things andyou're better able to plan
things out.
I hate it.
I hate it.
I'd be fortunate.
No, no, no, no.
When I went to the high school,my first day as a principal, I
was like my first day as aprincipal of that high school
was two weeks into the schoolyear.
I was walking in blind, totallyBlind.
(27:08):
I had two APs who had been herefor years.
I had a principal who was readyto be out of there and kids who
were just like hey, what's up?
Hey, what's up, you know, and Ihad to figure those things out.
I learned one thing from thatLike, that's not how you walk
into a school.
Okay, sometimes you have nochoice because maybe a school is
(27:29):
just in that position.
You prepare, it needs you inthere, you need to go in there
like a warrior and do what yougotta do.
That was that school.
This scenario, you know, beingmy third school, my first school
was different because I wasbrought in there as an AP to
hold it down until I bought aprincipal, and then I was asked
to stay for a year and then Iknew the school.
(27:49):
Yeah.
So when they said you're goingto be the principal, I knew what
I had.
Okay, so I've done, I've knownwhat I had.
I was in this scenario where Ididn't know what I had.
And now here, I made a choiceto say no, I wouldn't be there
soon as possible.
Yeah, Okay, and not just toshow myself.
Listen.
I fell back on a lot of things,because there's a lot of things
that would happen and I was like, okay, no, I have to step in.
(28:10):
Okay, I'm the principal, I haveto step in.
But there was a lot of things Iwas like, let me see how many
APs are going to happen withthat, let me see how they do
these things.
But sometimes it could beshocking to the school system
when you walk in there andyou're like, no, I'm Mr Malcolm.
This is why I want Okay, haveyou been a teacher in that
(28:30):
scenario?
You've had a cool career.
Yeah, I've been there, I'vebeen there when I had a
principal at the school.
I was like, oh God, this isgoing to be awesome.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
No, no, a lot of my experience.
I've been pretty lucky tosmooth transition from one
community to the other communityso I can't say I've ever come
in like in a mid-year situationwhere I'm taking over a class or
like anything you gotta havethat in your career One day one
day I don't want you to knowanyone, but how else would I
(29:02):
have known to be like no, thisis how I want to come in.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah yeah, you know, this is how I want to come in,
because I was like no, I've seenthose things and right now I'm
very like I'll tell you rightnow this is going to be a tough
year, but I'm very confident.
Okay, I'm very, very confidentbecause I'm like I know what I'm
working with, I know thecapacity of the people of this
team and also I've done myhomework Mm-hmm.
(29:28):
So I'm like for me, this ispre-season, like everything I'm
doing right now.
This is like pre-season.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
You told me earlier, only three days off this whole
summer.
You're putting the work.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
This pre-season I'm putting my business off, but yes
, it's been three days off sofar and.
But again I'm going to speedthese off because somebody told
me about this.
You got to be careful.
Like that's unhealthy.
I'm like tell that Bill Gates,tell that to Jeff Bezos, tell
(29:58):
that to some of the mostpowerful, tell that Einstein.
And that's just for a businesswe're talking.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
this is for a community.
This is for a community.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
This is for children and we're building something.
It's a legacy.
So my thing is if you know outthe vacation, you know me
getting back to the beach isgoing to happen down the road,
but right now I'm in a scenariowhere, if I do this right, it
can literally save a communityTotally Like it doesn't get any
(30:30):
more service oriented than that.
So I'll sacrifice sleep, I'llsacrifice, you know.
You know, going to to an islandsomewhere.
You know I'll sacrifice thatright now Because when the time
comes, you know, the greatest,the greatest joy I've had in my
career is when I see my formerstudents and they are like hella
successful.
I love that.
I'm like wow.
(30:50):
I remember when you were alittle annoying but you were an
engineer, wow, that's awesome.
You couldn't read.
I remember we we did, you werefighting us on that, and now
you're a writer.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I'm a little young in the game to have anyone come
back and tell me they're anengineer.
But I'm excited Before you knowit before you know it.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Listen, I have, yeah, but that's a, that's the thing
you know.
When you, when you, when you'repart of a community and you
know and you don't know, youmake an impact, you don't get to
see it to down the road.
Yeah, but there's, you know,there's a particular group of
kids Becca, class of 2000.
Getting called out yeah, 2013.
That, that, that, that group,those group of kids like now,
(31:39):
they're like 26, 27, 28.
Wow, and we have like seniorranking in the military.
We have attorneys, we havepharmacists, we have engineers,
we have a bunch of teachers.
All kids Come to spa, they'recoming.
(31:59):
All kids in the Bronx yeah, who,if you had seen them, then
you'd been like, when they hadtheir bras on the street, you'd
been like, you know, but we were, we were, we were, we were like
, we were like, you know, wewere pushing for excellence.
Man, this is going to soundreally bad.
We even let them breathe.
(32:20):
No, we were just like no, no,you're going to be right here.
Like, no, you will, you willsucceed.
And they were like yo, how canwe be?
Excellent, excellent, excellent.
You're not going to be part ofthe U of X, but but if they, if
they watch this, they're goingto be laughing and be like yo,
he really did do that.
But the thing was, I just hadsuch a belief on what.
I just tell them this, I justtell them this all the time,
(32:42):
like you might not believe it,but I see your future and I'm in
love with it.
I, I, I I'm just like.
I'm excited for you and yourfuture because you guys are
putting the word that's abeautiful vision.
That's the thing.
That's a beautiful vision.
You all have to see that.
I'm gonna stop by saying this.
We're gonna do something that Ihaven't done in a very long
time, and that's the SneakerPrincipal Podcast Takeover.
So I'm here with Malcolm HarvinConnor.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Thank you so much for having me.
I really appreciate it.
It's a pleasure.
I'm here from Washington DC.
I'm currently a student atTeachers College at Columbia
University, go through theSummer Principles Academy.
The Summer Principles Academy,no, and you're the one who sort
of inspired me.
You inspired me to join, and soI'm so glad that I get the
opportunity to actually meet you, to be a part of this podcast
(00:36):
and this opportunity, because Ihave a lot of questions for you.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Listen you know what, let's get into it, all right.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I'm in a hot seat.
Okay, I hope you're ready.
I hope you're ready, and thenagain shout out to Zoha Nadim
and Fatima Hamlani.
They both helped me come upwith these and I know that
you're coaching them as we goover our internship going up.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
High expectations, though.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, they're amazing educators and they're a little
bit interested as well, as am I.
What is your vision ofeducation and how do you
navigate, sort of pushing yourvision of education while sort
of going through the red tape ofthe DOE?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So I'll tell you this I'm a father, I have a
two-year-old he's, he had athree-year-old son, four and a
half year old daughter, and whatI want for them is to be
prepared for the world.
Is that, is that simple?
So, reading, writing, criticalthinking, being able to make
(01:37):
meaning out of what they'rebeing taught, what they see in
the world and their firstteachers are, you know, me and
their mother.
But then at some point in timewe got to get them over to the
school.
So, knowing that they're ableto go through an education, to
receive an education that reallyexpands them and it's not a
(02:00):
vision, it's just what it shouldbe and unfortunately it's not
that it's not that simple.
So, as a principal, as a schoolleader, as a teacher, that is
what I push my teachers withinmy school.
One of the parents.
We're here to prepare yourworld, I'm sorry to prepare your
child to go into the world andconquer, not just survive.
(02:21):
So that question is is it aneasy question?
But it's also a tough questionbecause it's easier said than
done.
Yeah, you know I've said thisto people that the schools that
I lead my goal is to make surethat I'd be comfortable with my
children attending that school.
(02:42):
That's my standard.
If I don't feel that the schoolthat I'm working at or I'm
leading is good enough for mychildren, something's very, very
wrong.
So, with that being said, Iwould say this that's the vision
that I would have for everyschool that every school leader
can say this is good enough formy kid, this is good enough for
(03:03):
my child.
You know, as far as red tape inthe system systems always have
red tape, yeah, you know.
But the and I would never sayit's the issue of red tape, it's
an issue of leadership, it's anissue of and what I mean?
Leadership.
I'm not just talking about theprincipal teachers, the bus
(03:25):
driver, the cafeteria workers,the building security.
What are their expectations forthe children who are walking
through the doors of that schoolthat they're working?
You know, that is the thing.
A lot of times, people don'thave expectations, it's just a
job.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
No, I remember you saying when you had the
opportunity to talk that youknow I was talking about.
You know what about schoolsthat have, like, a health clinic
on their campus?
And you really said that comesdown to like the vision of the
leader that's there to likesupply those things and to push
for that to exist there, andwhen it's not there, that's
(04:02):
really an issue of the visionthat the principal is sort of
pushing for at their school.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
People want to blame that.
Oh, it's the community, it'sthis, it's the DOE or the public
education or the district.
But I'm like, if you reallywant that thing, listen, one of
my mentors in my head.
I've never got to meet this man, but I really appreciate him.
Jeffrey, canada, harlemstudents, I told you about him.
Yeah, you did, you did, and hesaid he came out of Harvard with
(04:29):
his master's in educationleadership, like you're pursuing
right now, like I have and said, okay, I have all these job
offers in all these places,think tanks.
You know, this is in the 70s.
You have this black man fromHarvard.
You know everybody wants him.
He says, no, I'm going to goback to Harlem, I'm going to
prototype this space where Isupport children from prenatal
(04:53):
through 16.
So before you even come intothe world, I'm working with your
mother, your father and all theprenatal stuff to make sure
you're healthy.
So when you're born, now we'redoing how to support you,
parenting wise and yourdevelopment.
Then we could then, now you arepre-K, kindergarten on the same
facility, Then go to school,high school, and when you
(05:16):
graduate, we're still checkingup on you to make sure you make
it to the other end.
That was.
That was one man's vision, youknow.
You know I'm not trying to bepreachy, but the Bible says you
know, we perish because weperish because we have no vision
, something like that.
We have no sight, and that'sthe thing you want to click in
your building.
I've never got it.
(05:36):
I've never went out and got aclinic in my building.
Right now, this building has aclinic in it, which is awesome,
but there's other things I wentout and got because I was like,
no, my school needs this.
Or when I was on my kids tograduate and get into college, I
had to do the work and find outwhat the musicians work with
and bring all the resources, andthat happened.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
So remind me if I remember correctly, you came to
the United States when you were11 or 12, or originally.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I came here second grade Okay, third grade I was I
was diagnosed or labeled orhowever you want to call it, as
the word that was said to mymother is your son is mentally
retarded.
Back then there was a normallanguage.
This was like 82, 83.
(06:27):
My mother cried she was, andshe and we were immigrants here
and not a lot of money, and sheopted to just let's go back to
Nigeria.
I went back to Nigeria and shesupported me with tutoring and
everything else.
My parents were cheaper outthere and then we came back and
when we came back it was 1988,11, 1988, 6th grade.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So I'm sort of wondering how your experience as
an immigrant sort of informedyour vision of education and,
like what you want, added toeducational experience for kids.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So I'll tell you this .
So, having been here the secondgrade, third grade, in Los
Angeles, then, mind you, secondgrade, third grade, and now I
have to share this Before I camehere, we were in Saudi Arabia.
My father was a student inSaudi Arabia.
So Saudi Arabia, america, thenwe're back to Nigeria and I was
(07:21):
like whoa, this is different.
You know, I went to a reallygood school, but the school when
it would rain, you would haveto move your desks away from the
wall because it was literallycut out in the wall.
Yeah, so it was like, you know,chalkboard and like old desks.
It was like it was not what Isaw in Los Angeles, it was what
I saw in Saudi Arabia.
And then I stayed there,finished elementary school,
(07:46):
started the beginnings of highschool there and everything was
like not what I saw in America.
So I come back to America andall of a sudden I'm like back to
like lights and windows, ac'sand all that stuff.
And one of the things that Ialways thought about was like
this is interesting In Nigeriathe kids didn't play with the
(08:11):
education, school was takenseriously by everyone.
Come back to America and at thispoint in time it's middle
school and the teacher couldbarely teach.
Like, you know, like in Nigeria, the teacher walks into the
room, everybody stands up andsays good morning.
Then the teacher says, sit down.
Everybody sits down.
But you know, here, you knowkids are not teachers and
(08:33):
everything else.
And then kids are alsostruggling.
You know, kids can't read.
It was weird.
I saw my first, you know, firstyear that I saw there was
middle school that couldn't read.
I was confused.
How is that possible?
It's in Nigeria, everybody canread and the thing is the
(08:54):
stereotypes about Africa is likeyou know back where it's in,
struggling and everything else,but that's just the stereotypes
that they put out there.
Yeah, how that experience hasimpacted unless being an
immigrant or, better yet, havinghad an education in another
country impacted me was thatI've seen what you can do with
nothing.
I've seen what you can do inobject poverty.
(09:18):
You know where, literally, kidsare going to school no shoes on
, you know.
Then you come here, kids gotJordan's near feet, you know.
And you know, yeah, you might beliving in a project, but you
got light.
You know you might.
You know you might you might bepoor, but you got that EBT card
or the food stamps.
That's not in these otherplaces, but those kids come here
(09:42):
and perform better.
Yeah, a lot of it has to dowith the fact that people want
to say that immigrant mentalityis not immigrant mentality, it's
just societal expectation isdifferent.
But as an educator I have Ithink I have that can do like,
honestly, those deficit thinkingthat you have, even with
(10:04):
teachers.
I don't tolerate it.
Yeah, because I know I see whatcan be done with nothing and
even in the worst schools wehave a lot more the other other
societies and countries have.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Yeah, I'm really hearing you talk about, at least
from the teacher perspective,how there needs to be this
assumption that every child cansucceed.
Every child can, can.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
I'll go further than that.
Like I don't do the every childcan, every child will Will.
Okay, I tell students I don'tneed you to be perfect, I need
you to be excellent.
Think about this If I tell yoube perfect, that's an
(10:48):
impossibility.
I know it.
You know it Be excellent.
Tonight you have to sit downand say, ok, now what's
excellent for me?
And the thing is, we don't askour kids to be excellent, we
expect them to be perfect.
Then we say we need to believethat they can't.
No, every child can beexcellent.
(11:09):
We just got to pour into it andwe have to make that statement.
And we don't make thatstatement.
And I'll be honest with you, wedon't make that statement,
especially with black and brownkids.
No, for sure, for sure.
The expectation is that they'vealready lost and now we're
trying to save them.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, unfortunately, but yes, so I know that you are
sort of on the verge of possiblyleaving education.
I did leave, leaving education.
So what made you leave?
And then, on the flip side,what made you come back, what
made you decide that thispassion of yours was not
(11:50):
something that you were donewith?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So, to make a look story short, I left.
This was 22.
And this was three years ofprobably the hardest time in
education.
During the pandemic, yeah, Ibecame a high school principal,
(12:15):
and I became a high schoolprincipal in 2019.
And by 2020, the water shutdown, yeah.
And then I'm running a schooland again and this was my second
school, but it was a newexperience it was high school
now and I've been a high schooldean at AP, but now I'm running
a high school after running amiddle school.
(12:38):
So the matrices and all thosethings that you're measuring are
different for high school.
So I'm here trying to perfectmy craft around high school.
Then, all of a sudden, we'reonline.
Then I'm dealing with thestresses.
At that point, my son had justbeen born, so I have a newborn.
And what is this thing?
(12:59):
It's killing people.
Covid-19.
Kids are stressing out,teachers are stressing out.
All of a sudden, one child, twochildren, three children losing
parents, losing aunties, uncles, and all of a sudden, it was
like a year of trauma.
It was just a year long fuel.
Then I had teachers losing allthe ones.
(13:20):
Then a couple of my colleaguespassed away and it was just like
all these different things.
But at the same time, I refusedand maybe this is on me I
refused to back down on myexpectations for school.
In my core I was like, yes, wehave to show grace, we have to
be supportive, but we can't let,we can't not relent on pushing
(13:43):
out kids.
And we got to the followingyear where we had this weird
hybrid year.
Then we had we are coming backnow.
And when we came back that year2021-22, that summer my first
(14:07):
time sitting in the building,because I was remote the whole
entire time, because, again, Iwasn't going to put my son at
risk, because I didn't know whatwas going on and I walked into
the building and the firstperson I see is Anthony Lord,
and this was the first kid thatI met when I became principal.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
No way.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Remember that first kid, the first kid that you met.
Yeah, you never forget thatfirst kid Because your nerves
are like, oh, it's new schoolFirst kid, cool kid, come back.
That's the first kid that I see.
And now it's been almost twoyears.
I'm like yo, you got tall, it'sa senior year.
Sweet chat in the hallway.
(14:47):
He's like, yeah, I'm excited tograduate.
So I'm like yo, it's going tobe a great year.
And a couple of days later no,not a couple of days, no, it was
a few days later it was at atele in the summer school.
A few days later, I'm in themeeting with my staff.
We're sitting in the office.
(15:08):
Everybody has their masks, onphone rings.
I pick up the phone and it's mydeputy chancellor I'm sorry,
deputy superintendent and shesays, hey, you lost a kid.
I'm like what she's like, um,when her students was killed.
I'm like who she's like.
(15:30):
I think it's Anthony Lloyd.
I'm like I don't know who thatis.
My brain had literally shut,like that moment had shut down,
and I'm sitting there I'mthinking to myself who's?
Who's Anthony Lloyd.
And she's like Anthony Lloyd.
And obviously my brain said,okay, I'm gonna let you off the
hook.
You know, you know who he is,I'm just going in my brain, I'm
(15:52):
like no wayit was murdered, you know, in
Brooklyn.
And that's how we started theschool year.
You know, great kid, we startedthe school year.
Not only did we just go to thepandemic, but then we started
the school year one of ourseniors murdered.
So and then that, you know,it's just a couple year, yeah,
(16:12):
but at the same time I had thisthing in my head we had gone AP
for all as a school where everykid was sitting AP classes.
You know, black and brown kidsfrom some of the toughest hoods
in Brooklyn in this school.
Like no, we're gonna push you.
And we and we had a successfulyear.
100% of our seniors got in thecollege.
Like all got in the college andand then graduation I was
(16:38):
dreading graduation.
We got to graduation, the frontfirst seat was empty, flowers
and picture and everything else,and and then having to give his
mother his diploma.
It was so much yeah, and I wasjust like, yeah, I need to walk
(16:59):
away from this.
You know, because I don't knowlike I'll tell you, I don't know
how to just like take a break,yeah, I go 100%.
And just like I did, I was likeyou know what I decided, like
you know what I think I'm goodfor right now.
So an opportunity came up at atech company.
(17:20):
I went over there and and thenfunny thing, the funniest thing
happened once it passed by and Irealized I belong in the school
.
Yeah, I need, I need, I needthat break away.
Yeah, and and absence makes thehard-go fund yeah, but also
gives you clarity yeah yeah, butthe thing to, but more, more,
(17:43):
more, anything else I need, Ineed to rest, I need to break a
rest is big, and so I did, Irested, I wrote, I refocused and
as soon as I said, okay, I madeit come.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
This opportunity came up and and I'm here, okay, yeah
all right, all right, I lovethat and, you know, as principal
in training, you know I feellike we've learned a lot about
how the experience of startingyour own school versus going
into a school community that'salready established is like two
(18:19):
very different experiences, andso I'm sort of wondering, as you
entrance this new space, whatare some of the things that
you're thinking about andestablishing yourself in this
new community?
establishing myself yeah, likeyou're, you're a new face, a new
position.
You know I'm sure that you knowI don't know the history of
(18:42):
principals in this space before,but you're sort of filling new
shoes and people are sort oflooking to you to take on a
pretty big role in this newcommunity of it.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
It makes sense what one of the most popular thing
that I learned from spot some ofmy principal's academy I
remember when and I would saywas Dr Perkins he was.
It was, and I'm you by.
You confirm this, because thefirst summer the whole notion of
what kind of leader you want tobe he talked about and he had
(19:15):
all these things.
My brain works is when I focuson one thing everything it
doesn't matter.
And when I focused on what hesaid service leadership I was
like I've been in the militaryand all this stuff and I know
what it means to serve.
But the way he framed it, maybeit's just as baritone voices
where he was speaking he has away.
(19:36):
He has, a way he says he saidyou know that Christ, like
service, like you know when youknow you're here, this is who
you are, but you bring yourselfhere and under those that you're
serving to really serve themlike any hands and knees you do.
(19:57):
And for me, guess that is who Ibecame as a principal.
So I, I hope I want, when Iwant, the spaces, people since
my energy.
I'm here for one purpose, onepurpose only.
It's to make sure that yourchild gets everything they need.
Yeah, I tell families all thetime.
(20:18):
If I can ever be help officers,your family, let me know.
I don't have all the answers, Iknow.
I mean it's long enough.
I know enough people that I canfind the right person yeah, I
don't have the answer.
I know I'm I know someone whodoes exactly, and with OSG, no,
but, but, but that's a bit isvery true.
(20:39):
And and I was there on was that?
Was that Tuesday or Monday?
Yeah, tuesday, tuesday.
And when he went on Dr McKee'sand called out on, shout out, dr
McKeezy.
Yes, he called on the crew andthey by showed up and I, and
even I, was moved by thatbecause I realized even over the
course of my career, I'm notalone.
(21:00):
Yeah, so I'm able to callpeople and people answer.
But back to your question is doI?
I hope the way I move and whenparents meet me they're not
meeting the principal.
There's this notion of like youknow the student time you walk
out and all the sudden you talklike this so yes, I'm principal
in Joku and let me talk to youabout just so much.
Or someone's doing, not, son,I'm from, you know I grew up in
(21:22):
Eagle California.
You know West Side, you knowI'm hoping all blood hood, I was
in the military down south inthe Marine Corps, all these
spaces.
I'm a human being and all thesethings I quote in.
So when I meet people, I try tomeet them where they are, as a
human being.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
No, I think you're exactly right when it comes down
to the fact that we, asprincipals, are supposed to
serve.
Our goal is to uplift thecommunity, and in order to do
that, we have to engage with thecommunity, we have to build
rapport, we have to reallyunderstand the needs, which
can't happen without dialogue,and it's transformational
(22:05):
leaders who show up with theintention of asking how can I
serve?
Not, this is how I'm going toserve you.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
But what I'm going to add to that is this as well
Sometimes have you ever hadsomebody ask you, what do you
need, and you're like I don'tknow you might not know.
You might be like I don't knowhow to put it into words, but I
don't want to come off.
It's kind of crazy.
So people say, oh, I'm good.
The hard part of this all aswell is Can I add some to that?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I feel like it's also all the times that maybe
they've tried to say somethingand the people that they've
tried to tell haven't listened,so they've been trained that
them saying what they need isn'tgoing to get them anywhere.
To begin with.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Or, even worse, no one ever asked yeah.
So you're like, oh, what isthat?
But that's 100% valid.
You know, when you keep puttingout there, this is what I need,
and you're either ignored oryou're giving what you don't
need, you know, then after awhile you're like you're not
serious or I don't even know howto answer it.
(23:15):
I don't even know what I needat this point in time.
This is where learning,shutting up and paying attention
and learning, you know, when Icame so I started May 1st.
I could have waited untilsummertime, like most principals
, you know.
Come in, you know, stoppreparing for the new school
(23:37):
year.
A lot of people say, oh, I hatetaking a school mid-year.
It's tough, that's the besttime.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
That's the best time.
It's the best time.
Yeah, you're right.
I've never heard anyone saythat before in my life.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
So May 1st Okay, may 1st would.
Even if you think about it, may1st is probably the worst time.
Exems are over.
You're now in this stretch oflike people are not really
teaching anymore, and you knowthe kids are like, but you know,
and then everybody's goingthrough the motions.
Yeah, but for me, I wanted toget in here as soon as possible,
(24:15):
but I need to learn.
I play a touch to every singleteacher.
Kids and the whole watchinglisten to the rhythm of the
school.
What was it the loudest?
You know school safety securityofficers.
What was their tone?
You know, when parents walkinto the building, how were they
treated?
(24:36):
Did I have any disrespect forpeople on staff as far as how
they treat students?
How the staff spoke to eachother?
You know?
Speaker 2 (24:44):
I'm hearing a lot of social data intake.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Yes, yes, but check this out.
It was backed.
That was actually bookended.
It was the other end of thatbookshelf was me doing my desk
art.
I sat in the judge's office fora week and just went through
data at the school.
I spoke to people.
I spoke to people on the team.
(25:08):
I said you're the ELA pointperson for the district, so tell
me what's going on in thatschool.
I've seen your numbers here.
Has that always been like this?
I saw a jump.
You're the math person, tell me.
And people are telling melisten, going to that school,
you know we put these in theplace and it falls through.
And I'm not sitting there, I'mlearning, I'm learning.
(25:30):
Then they start dropping namesMr So-and-so, mr So-and-so.
I'm like oh, okay, so now I'min the building, oh, that's Mr
So-and-so.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Oh, you started putting names.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
I'm not making any judgment, I'm just like listen,
now I have quantitative datathat I've been studying, but now
that social input, gettingthose information in very, very
important Okay, because now, asI'm sitting here a month away
from the new school year, likenothing is left to be, left a
(26:02):
chance.
I know what I'm working with, Iknow what's here, you know, I
know personality types, I knowhow to deal with certain people,
I know who should be in whatclassroom, who should not be in
another classroom.
Come into a school as a newprincipal and you're just moving
pieces and you don't even knowwhat you're doing.
It's not that you don't knowwhat you're doing, you don't
know who you're moving.
I've had listen, listen.
(26:25):
I've seen things where I'm justlike, hmm, interesting, I've
had teachers who got into it.
I'm like, so how long I've justbeen going on all year.
Nobody did anything about this.
You know, and you start to see,oh, this teacher's a bully,
okay, and not just the school,it was over the course of my
career.
Or this teacher, you know, orthis administrator, or this, and
(26:46):
you start to move things andyou're better able to plan
things out.
I hate it.
I hate it.
I'd be fortunate.
No, no, no, no.
When I went to the high school,my first day as a principal, I
was like my first day as aprincipal of that high school
was two weeks into the schoolyear.
I was walking in blind, totallyBlind.
(27:08):
I had two APs who had been herefor years.
I had a principal who was readyto be out of there and kids who
were just like hey, what's up?
Hey, what's up, you know, and Ihad to figure those things out.
I learned one thing from thatLike, that's not how you walk
into a school.
Okay, sometimes you have nochoice because maybe a school is
(27:29):
just in that position.
You prepare, it needs you inthere, you need to go in there
like a warrior and do what yougotta do.
That was that school.
This scenario, you know, beingmy third school, my first school
was different because I wasbrought in there as an AP to
hold it down until I bought aprincipal, and then I was asked
to stay for a year and then Iknew the school.
(27:49):
Yeah.
So when they said you're goingto be the principal, I knew what
I had.
Okay, so I've done, I've knownwhat I had.
I was in this scenario where Ididn't know what I had.
And now here, I made a choiceto say no, I wouldn't be there
soon as possible.
Yeah, Okay, and not just toshow myself.
Listen.
I fell back on a lot of things,because there's a lot of things
that would happen and I was like, okay, no, I have to step in.
(28:10):
Okay, I'm the principal, I haveto step in.
But there was a lot of things Iwas like, let me see how many
APs are going to happen withthat, let me see how they do
these things.
But sometimes it could beshocking to the school system
when you walk in there andyou're like, no, I'm Mr Malcolm.
This is why I want Okay, haveyou been a teacher in that
(28:30):
scenario?
You've had a cool career.
Yeah, I've been there, I'vebeen there when I had a
principal at the school.
I was like, oh God, this isgoing to be awesome.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
No, no, a lot of my experience.
I've been pretty lucky tosmooth transition from one
community to the other communityso I can't say I've ever come
in like in a mid-year situationwhere I'm taking over a class or
like anything you gotta havethat in your career One day one
day I don't want you to knowanyone, but how else would I
(29:02):
have known to be like no, thisis how I want to come in.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah yeah, you know, this is how I want to come in,
because I was like no, I've seenthose things and right now I'm
very like I'll tell you rightnow this is going to be a tough
year, but I'm very confident.
Okay, I'm very, very confidentbecause I'm like I know what I'm
working with, I know thecapacity of the people of this
team and also I've done myhomework Mm-hmm.
(29:28):
So I'm like for me, this ispre-season, like everything I'm
doing right now.
This is like pre-season.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
You told me earlier, only three days off this whole
summer.
You're putting the work.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
This pre-season I'm putting my business off, but yes
, it's been three days off sofar and.
But again I'm going to speedthese off because somebody told
me about this.
You got to be careful.
Like that's unhealthy.
I'm like tell that Bill Gates,tell that to Jeff Bezos, tell
(29:58):
that to some of the mostpowerful, tell that Einstein.
And that's just for a businesswe're talking.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
this is for a community.
This is for a community.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
This is for children and we're building something.
It's a legacy.
So my thing is if you know outthe vacation, you know me
getting back to the beach isgoing to happen down the road,
but right now I'm in a scenariowhere, if I do this right, it
can literally save a communityTotally Like it doesn't get any
(30:30):
more service oriented than that.
So I'll sacrifice sleep, I'llsacrifice, you know.
You know, going to to an islandsomewhere.
You know I'll sacrifice thatright now Because when the time
comes, you know, the greatest,the greatest joy I've had in my
career is when I see my formerstudents and they are like hella
successful.
I love that.
I'm like wow.
(30:50):
I remember when you were alittle annoying but you were an
engineer, wow, that's awesome.
You couldn't read.
I remember we we did, you werefighting us on that, and now
you're a writer.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I'm a little young in the game to have anyone come
back and tell me they're anengineer.
But I'm excited Before you knowit before you know it.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Listen, I have, yeah, but that's a, that's the thing
you know.
When you, when you, when you'repart of a community and you
know and you don't know, youmake an impact, you don't get to
see it to down the road.
Yeah, but there's, you know,there's a particular group of
kids Becca, class of 2000.
Getting called out yeah, 2013.
That, that, that, that group,those group of kids like now,
(31:39):
they're like 26, 27, 28.
Wow, and we have like seniorranking in the military.
We have attorneys, we havepharmacists, we have engineers,
we have a bunch of teachers.
All kids Come to spa, they'recoming.
(31:59):
All kids in the Bronx yeah, who,if you had seen them, then
you'd been like, when they hadtheir bras on the street, you'd
been like, you know, but we were, we were, we were, we were like
, we were like, you know, wewere pushing for excellence.
Man, this is going to soundreally bad.
We even let them breathe.
(32:20):
No, we were just like no, no,you're going to be right here.
Like, no, you will, you willsucceed.
And they were like yo, how canwe be?
Excellent, excellent, excellent.
You're not going to be part ofthe U of X, but but if they, if
they watch this, they're goingto be laughing and be like yo,
he really did do that.
But the thing was, I just hadsuch a belief on what.
I just tell them this, I justtell them this all the time,
(32:42):
like you might not believe it,but I see your future and I'm in
love with it.
I, I, I I'm just like.
I'm excited for you and yourfuture because you guys are
putting the word that's abeautiful vision.
That's the thing.
That's a beautiful vision.
You all have to see that.
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