50 Springfield leaders serve as SPS Principal for a Day

 

Guided through the halls of his alma mater, Wanda Gray Elementary, Kam Evans not only saw what the school building is, but also what it was and what it could be. As business development officer at Nabholz construction company 364 days of the year and principal for a day today, Evans had a unique look at how students, teachers and the community can all come together to build an educational structure to last. 

“Coming from the construction world, I always like to tell the people I work with - when there are problems those are just opportunities in disguise,” said Evans. 

Evans was one of 50 professionals from the Springfield community who learned and led alongside educators Friday, Sept. 12. Nearly every school in the district hosted a professional as part of the SPS Principal for a Day program, an innovative partnership between Springfield Public Schools and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

“This was probably one of the most rewarding things I have ever done,” said Mason Carter, manager of academic relations at Mercy and principal for a day at Launch Virtual Learning Center. 

This experience not only allowed local business leaders to meet and interact with students, but also showed off the incredible dedication of SPS’s leadership through its principals. 

“One of the things Principal Collins mentioned that I gravitated to was about the demographics of the school and our school district,” said Seth Swafford, president of Palen Music Center and principal for a day at Reed Middle School. “She said ‘one of the reasons I wanted to be a principal is that if I can have an impact on a student’s education right now that will help break the cycle of poverty that they are currently in, then I will have an even greater impact on their future grandchildren and great grandchildren that I will never meet.’ That was really impactful.”

The half-day experience provided business leaders with a deeper awareness and understanding of SPS, as well as beginning conversations about innovative partnerships. Both goals are related to the district's Strategic Plan focused on building a collaborative culture at SPS.