萝莉网

By Lance W. Gibbon

The true test of leadership isn鈥檛 when things go smoothly 鈥� it鈥檚 when everything is on the line. My faith doesn鈥檛 sit on the sidelines of my work. It guides me, especially in the hardest moments.

As a public school superintendent and follower of Christ, I try, imperfectly, to reflect Jesus鈥� model of servant leadership. He came not to be served, but to serve 鈥� meeting people with love and grace, no matter who they were or what they believed.

Jesus had a heart for children and for those on the margins 鈥� widows, orphans, the poor and the sick. That compassion challenges me to think differently about the barriers our students face. In one school district, we eliminated fees for school supplies, musical instruments and uniforms so a 鈥渇ree鈥� public education could truly be free.

Some families were skipping meals to buy school clothes. Rather than making them ask for help, we offered support up front. The message was simple: You belong here. We鈥檝e got you.

Standing Firm

Serving others often opens unexpected doors 鈥� sometimes even turning critics into partners. We built one of the region鈥檚 largest home-school partnerships by listening carefully and making room for families to personalize learning while staying connected to the district. We deepened relationships with union leaders by checking in early and offering help before it was requested. Even parents once labeled 鈥渄ifficult鈥� became allies when they felt heard, respected and included.

Not everyone welcomed these changes. For some, progress threatened the status quo. Standing firm in the face of opposition is a common thread in the lives of faithful leaders 鈥� modeled perfectly by Christ. I鈥檇 like to say I鈥檓 no longer surprised by the pushback that can accompany doing what you believe is right, but I鈥檓 still learning that lesson. Faith in leadership requires both courage and humility.

Without Agendas

I鈥檝e often said I鈥檓 an evangelist 鈥� not for religion, but for public education. Still, some of my closest relationships and most meaningful allies have been local pastors. In many ways, we share the same burdens: serving people, standing in tension, sometimes feeling alone and staying rooted in conviction. Our partnerships weren鈥檛 about proselytizing. They were about service.

During the pandemic, one pastor offered to take a special offering to bless our staff. In a single Sunday, his relatively small congregation raised more than $40,000. Volunteers assembled personalized gift boxes for all 800 employees 鈥� filled with local items, gift cards and handwritten notes. No strings attached 鈥� just gratitude. The response was overwhelming.

As superintendent, I work to remove barriers for those who want to support our schools in meaningful ways. At an annual pastors鈥� prayer breakfast, leaders from across denominations gathered to pray for our schools. I shared our needs, and they committed to lifting up our students, families, and staff 鈥� not only that day but throughout the year. Their support 鈥� quiet, consistent and practical 鈥� made a lasting difference.

This work constantly tests your convictions. My identity in Christ has been the anchor that steadies me 鈥� through criticism, personal attacks and tough decisions. I remember one especially contentious school board meeting as we worked to reopen schools during COVID-19. The opposition was intense 鈥� from all sides. Afterward, I sat alone in my car, drained and questioning. In that moment of doubt, I sensed God鈥檚 quiet reassurance: You were called for a time such as this.

There鈥檚 a verse in Galatians I return to often: 鈥淟et us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.鈥� That promise doesn鈥檛 remove the weight of leadership, but it reminds me why perseverance matters.

The Look of Faith

My faith does not compel me to bring religion into schools. It compels me to lead with patience, grace and hope 鈥� to tell the truth kindly, to apologize quickly, to protect the vulnerable and to make decisions that elevate students above politics and personalities. It asks me to see people through the eyes of Christ 鈥� fearfully and wonderfully made, deeply loved and worthy of my very best.

When leaders of any belief choose service over spotlight, courage over comfort and relationships over winning, schools flourish. Students feel known, staff feel trusted and communities lean in.

Any success I鈥檝e had isn鈥檛 mine alone 鈥� it鈥檚 the result of being placed in the right moment and given the strength to act. That is faith in action: doing what you can, leading with love and never losing sight of why we do this work 鈥� our students. 

Lance Gibbon is superintendent of the Hood Canal School District in Skokomish Nation, Wash. 

By Benjamin Shuldiner

From the earliest days of my life, my secular humanist Jewish faith has been both a personal anchor and a guide for my public service. The values, rituals and historical consciousness I carry have deeply shaped the way I approach my work in education.

I do not separate who I am from how I lead. My leadership is, in many ways, an expression of my faith.

Being Jewish means carrying the weight and wisdom of a long history, a history of resilience in the face of hardship: slavery in Egypt, the Spanish Inquisition, pogroms, the Holocaust. We have been 鈥渢he other鈥� for millennia, denied full belonging, denied security and, at times, denied the right to exist. These experiences are part of my story. They remind me daily of how fragile belonging can be, and how essential it is to build schools where every child feels safe, valued and included.

But it is also from this history of unsettledness that creates education as the fabric of who we are. If place and property can be ripped asunder, education, knowledge and tradition are all that truly bind us. Education never has been a purely academic pursuit. It is tied to memory, morality and identity. The oft-repeated line 鈥渂ut they can never take away your education鈥� is seared into our faith.

In Judaism, though, learning never is just about memorizing facts. It is about asking questions, challenging assumptions and being expected to engage fully in the conversation. At Passover, we don鈥檛 just quietly listen to someone retell the Exodus, we taste the bitterness of slavery, dip wine for the plagues, we read aloud from our own lips and create specific places for our children to ask questions and incorporate themselves into the history. That is how I believe schools should be: places where students are active participants in their own learning, where curiosity not only is allowed but celebrated and where each child can see themselves in their education.

Repairing the World

My faith also teaches me about accountability and renewal. Yom Kippur is a time to seek forgiveness from God, but before that, we must ask forgiveness from the people we have wronged.

As a leader, that means being willing to admit mistakes, repair relationships and model humility.

The ritual of Tashlich, casting sins into the water, reminds me that we must wrestle with our mistakes, enumerate them and then work actively to become better, with the realization we are never trapped by our failures. We can start again, and we can help others start again, too.

But perhaps the most visceral and powerful concept in our faith is Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. Though this is taught as a faith-based ideal, an ephemeral concept, it also is meant to be tangible and real, not merely an abstract theory. It is a mandate to us, a direction for our time on earth. In the context of public education, it means working to make our schools places of justice and equity and teaching students that their learning is connected to making the world better. It means advocating for those without a voice and ensuring that every decision moves us toward fairness and compassion.

Even the idea of being 鈥渃hosen鈥� informs my leadership. In Judaism, we are not chosen because we are superior, or self-proclaimed to be. The moniker is because in the desert, surrounded by false idols and golden calves, we chose God, and in doing so, accepted the obligations of the covenant. Leadership is like that. It is not about privilege, but responsibility. It means serving others first, even when it is hard, even when it costs us something.

Respectful Relationships

Rabbi Hillel, in the Babylonian Talmud, said: 鈥淲hatever is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and learn.鈥� For me, that is the heart of leadership. It means treating every student, every educator, every parent, every community member with the dignity and respect I would want for myself or my own family. It means leading with both love and guidance, because love without guidance is empty, and guidance without love is cruelty.

Being a Jew informs my leadership in ways large and small, through my commitment to questioning, to repairing what is broken, to standing up for what is right and to believing that education is a sacred tool for building a better world.

When I look at our students, I see not just young people to be taught, but lives entrusted to our care. And I carry with me the hope that if we teach them to learn deeply, act justly and care fiercely, they will be the ones to carry the work of Tikkun Olam into the future. 

Benjamin Shuldiner is superintendent of the Lansing Public Schools in Lansing, Mich. 

By Youssef Mossalam

Leadership is a service we provide to help others thrive. As leaders in K-12 education, we bring people together for the greater good of students, and our collective efforts generate a sense of purpose that brings out the best in ourselves and others. I lead by example, and my service is an expression of my religious beliefs.

In Islam, the philosophy of servant leadership is woven into our foundational tenets. It is a religion that places an emphasis on equity, justice, peace and learning. It shares common beliefs and values with Judaism and Christianity.

When I was hired as superintendent of Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights, Mich., in 2019, I was aware that many people were fearful of the changes I would bring to the district. They wondered: Would I force my Islamic faith and principles for behavior on others? Was I trustworthy? Even, was I an American?

A specific struggle for me as a Muslim has been to change peoples鈥� negative perception of my faith and, by extension, who I am. This objective remains important to me because the way people judge me and my faith has repercussions for my students, 70 percent of whom are Muslims. People have many misconceptions about Islam.

Through time, patience and perseverance, we have changed the narrative. As people grew to trust me, the early focus on me shifted to student achievement and an inclusive learning environment for all. Over the years, our district has gone from deficit spending, declining student scores and community disenfranchisement to a budget surplus, improved student performance and multiple community partnerships.

Today, community organizations help schools support students facing hardships. Creating a support system for students means that when children lose a parent, we are all there to fill their needs, when a family is displaced, we are all there to help them with the transition and when anyone seeks help, we don鈥檛 just provide the referral, we help guide them.

Overcoming Struggles

Struggles today persist in education often because of misunderstandings or the need to build trust. Islam has given me the strength to overcome professional difficulties because, as a Muslim, I believe that if God鈥檚 chosen prophets had struggled, what would make me any different? Their struggles paved the way for me and my brothers and sisters from all faiths as we strive to lead for positive change.

The prophets鈥� examples of selflessness, humility and sacrifice, all while maintaining their faith, are a true testament to servant leadership. In particular, the Prophet Muhammad remains a role model for me and many Muslims as he is a model for showing kindness and living an ethical life.

Islam鈥檚 holy Quran includes the prophet鈥檚 first message from God through the Angel Gabriel. The scripture, which is admired as an exceptional piece of literature, provided Arabs with a religious foundation and guidance on societal issues.

The Quran鈥檚 guidance led me to become an educator. As human beings, we have choices in life, and one of those choices is how we will create a positive impact on our community. We know teaching a child to read will open doors and opportunities for a lifetime. As a district, we鈥檝e pursued a focus on literacy and seen substantial gains in early literacy efforts and literacy intervention at the secondary level.

Good of the Whole

As a leader, I have overcome difficult challenges but remain steadfast in my belief that my decisions are the best judgments for the good of the whole. As a servant leader, I must do as those leaders before me have done: Be truthful to my word, honor others鈥� opinions, maintain equitable policies and create opportunities for success.

By working through our differences, being transparent and listening to others, we changed enough mindsets to pass a $125 million bond last year. Some who initially opposed a bond levy became our biggest advocates. Our collective efforts to improve the success of all students continue for the good of the whole.

Leadership calls on us to listen, empathize and conceptualize where we are and where we need to be.

Being a Muslim in an educational leadership position is no different than other faiths. We practice kindness and compassion. We all follow the same guiding principles of servant leadership in which all decisions create a legacy around the growth of humanity. 

Youssef Mosallam is superintendent of Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights, Mich. 

By Rajinder Singh Manhas

I grew up in a Sikh family in Punjab, India. From my earliest childhood I heard stories about the life and wisdom of the 16th-century founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak. Central themes included the equality of all humankind, selfless service and belief in one universal source: Ik Onkar (One God).

The concluding words of the Sikh prayer, recited at the end of every service, are Charhdi Kala (remain a joybul optimist) and Sarbat Da Bhala (wish for the well-being of all).

These nuggets of wisdom became inseparable aspects of my core identity. They have been a critical factor in all my leadership roles, starting in the banking industry and then in public service, first for the city of Seattle, then Seattle Public Schools and finally the North Thurston Public Schools in Lacey, Wash.

In 2001, I was recruited to be chief operating officer of Seattle Public Schools, the largest school district in Washington. A few months into that position, it became clear the school system was in dire straits.

The district had a $34 million deficit that was not understood or reported. Public trust in the administration and the school board plummeted. Only 10 percent of teachers and staff said they trusted the competence of the administration. The news media delivered relentlessly harsh criticism of the district鈥檚 incompetence and lack of transparency. The superintendent at the time resigned, leaving a gaping hole in leadership.

Rebuilding Public Trust

In the face of this multipronged disaster, the school board appointed me as interim superintendent with a one-year contract while I continued to serve as chief operating officer. The board launched a nationwide search for a new superintendent with a background in education.

I realized healing was needed, both for the demoralized staff and the community. We invited all stakeholders 鈥� unions, teachers, principals, state auditors and parents 鈥� into an open process. We humbly accepted our responsibility for damaging the trust of parents and the public and did our best to put everything on the table.

What followed were weeks of constant worry, pressure to act quickly and the burden of knowing the decisions I made would have serious consequences for the community I served. But even when making those painful and difficult decisions, my Sikh faith reminded me to continually stay optimistic (Charhdi Kala) and keep in mind the welfare of all (Sarbat Da Bhala).

In union negotiations, we agreed that the welfare of the children was our common central concern. Any necessary cuts in the budget would come first from non-classroom functions. In the end, we were forced to lay off more than 100 teachers, and I met with each of those teachers to express my gratitude and respect.

We had to close some schools with declining enrollments, which we undertook with compassion and transparency, even at times in the face of bitter opposition from the communities representing those schools to be closed. Teachers鈥� and principals鈥� associations stood with us in solidarity to do the right thing on behalf of Seattle children.

After my term as interim superintendent, the school board asked me to continue for three more years. We made remarkable academic progress and built overwhelming community support for bond and levy measures. We signed a five-year contract with the Seattle Education Association that included a provision to protect schools from any future teacher layoffs in an area with a concentration of under-performing schools. This partnership helped to pull together our community, unions and school district. After erasing the $34 million deficit, we had built a reserve of $25 million by the time I finished my contract in 2007.

Then I served as the director of Seeds of Compassion, a community-wide, multi-day event to highlight the importance of social and emotional well-being of children. This event brought the Dalai Lama and a score of other spiritual leaders to Seattle. Prominent brain and social scientists also participated.

A Divine Message

Over the next seven years, I served as superintendent of the North Thurston Public Schools. Students and school staff, public officials, members of the Chamber of Commerce and many community organizations came together to create a compassionate school district in a city of compassion. We garnered unprecedented support for bonds and levies for the school district while achieving great success in improving the academic performance of students.

Throughout my life as well as in my career as a superintendent, I have striven to apply the words of Guru Nanak: Let wisdom be your support. Let compassion be your guide. Listen to the Divine Music that beats in every heart. 

Rajinder (Raj) Singh Manhas is the retired superintendent of Seattle Public Schools in Seattle, Wash., and the superintendent of North Thurston Public Schools in Lacey, Wash.