Home

I had the wonderful opportunity last fall to volunteer with NEASC. It was a powerful experience for me as an educator and as a part of a leadership team. I had the opportunity to be part of a visiting team at a school that was totally different than mine. I learned so much and one of the most powerful things was all the people volunteering - volunteering to learn, to be uncomfortable, to ask questions. But in a setting that was about helping a school learn more about who they were.

When you get a chance to go to another school you realize how special faculty are and how dedicated they are to their students. I think the biggest takeaway was being able to reflect on where your school is, but also to realize how dynamic other schools are. Seeing that in a different setting has helped me become a better leader.

Our NEASC journey began with our first accreditation cycle, when we realized that despite many initiatives, we remained too teacher-centered. The NEASC learning principles became a turning point: They allowed us to reflect honestly on where we stood and then guided our further reflection so that we could transfer the meaning of the learning principles into new contexts. This helped us articulate a clear vision and concrete goals.

As a result, our school transformed into a true learning community where students are the principal actors in their learning and take real responsibility for their growth. At the same time, the process has united us as a faculty, strengthening our shared vision and professional collaboration.

NEASC provides me with a strong support system as a school leader - especially the annual Leadership Conference in Boston, the guidance of our school's relationship manager, and the support of the office staff.

I serve as a volunteer for NEASC in two important capacities - as an accreditation visitor and as a commission member. The Commission is a representative body of school leaders that review accreditation visit reports from schools all around the world and discuss and advise NEASC on topics of relevance to member schools. Serving on the Commission has become my most fulfilling professional experience as a school leader.    

I was first introduced to NEASC when working for Boston Public Schools and had the opportunity to participate on an accreditation team visit. Now, as a cooperative education coordinator in the Cambridge Public School system, I continue to serve as a volunteer with NEASC and have begun leading teams. 

I recommend any educator consider serving on a visit so you can understand the NEASC process but most importantly so you can see best practices in action, develop relationships with other educators, and impact student outcomes in a positive way through the feedback you share with schools. 

Briella is the student Executive President at Farmington High School (FHS). Her learning journey at FHS has been deeply influenced by the school’s Vision of the Global Citizen (the school’s version of the Vision of a Learner). The FHS Vision includes five traits and attributes they wish to develop in their students: Self-Aware Individual, Empowered Learner, Disciplined Thinker, Engaged Collaborator, and Civic-Minded Contributor.

Each trait includes an impact statement and examples of implementation and success, such as: 

• I can persist in overcoming obstacles to reach my own goals
• l can learn from my successes and failures by engaging in feedback
• I am learning to exhibit focus, creativity, flexibility
• I can create inclusive environments for dialogue
• I question prevailing assumptions