A Unique Perspective

I’ve been a firefighter since 2013 and an educator since 2009. After spending the last several years as a school administrator, I found myself going home after emotionally and physically exhausting days asking the same question over and over: How can working within the education system feel harder in so many ways than putting out a literal fire?

That question stayed with me for years, until I finally realized the answer.

In the fire service, our mission is clear. It’s right in front of us. It’s urgent. It’s hot. Even if we can’t see the flames, we can feel them. That constant, tangible reminder keeps us focused and united in our purpose.

But in education, our mission isn’t always as visible. We’re navigating complex challenges every day, academic gaps, trauma, behavioral crises, limited resources…and it’s emotionally demanding. Yet we don’t always get those clear signals reminding us why we do what we do.

That’s why collaboration in education takes even more intentional effort. We must commit to keeping our shared mission at the forefront of everything we do…every conversation, every classroom, every decision.

There is no doubt: we are better together. But to truly serve our students with the power and precision they deserve, we need to support each other in remembering our why. If we can do that, if we can lift one another up and stay centered on our collective purpose, we will become unstoppable in our ability to transform lives.