Name: Clay Scarborough

Title: High School Principal

Organisation: Navarro ISD

In my 7th year as a High School Principal, 5 years as an assistant principal 10 years as a teacher and at the same time was an Asst. Baseball Coach and Sports Information Director Played four years of college baseball and two years of college football

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Educational Leadership!

I hope Clay's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as an Educational Leader?

Keeping up with changing times which we are supposed to do as lifelong learners. For example the rise in mental health issues with students the age they are now as a result of COVID and other factors has forced many of us educators to become even more part phycologist and threat assessment specialists when that is not what we were trained for. We are glad to do it as we are here for students, but it is an example of a major challenge we face as educational leaders.

2. How did you become an Educational Leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

When I left high school I knew there were three paths I was interested in; broadcasting, meteorology and coaching/teaching. The Coaching/Teaching route is what opened up the most and appeared to be the path that I was being most led down.

I have had the fortune as a part-time Sports Information Director and at the schools I am at to do some broadcasting still and with my passion for photography I have been able to be a storm spotter; thus I have gotten to do all three to some extent.

It has been the educator route that God has pushed me the most to follow for the last 23 years. Those years have included ten as a middle school teacher, five as an assistant principal at a high school, and now 7.5 years as a high school principal. I have completed a Master's in education and superintendent certification.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

For me, as a pitcher in high school and college and throwing a lot of batting practice as a coach, I picked up the habit of running. Thus, I run two miles five to six times a week in the morning before anyone else gets up. After I shower and everything, I get my two boys, make breakfast and it is off to school for all of us at 6:35 am. On days where I don't have a game to cover I am at school from pretty much 7:15 am to 5 pm.

When there are games or performances or school board meetings I get home between 8:30 and 9 pm. During the school day as a high school principal I never really know what will happen…definitely keeps me from being bored. Walkthroughs, ARDs, meetings with students, meetings with teachers, and professional learning communities are regular parts of my day.

Helping in special education rooms, meetings with the central office, meeting with parents, helping with the broadcast club, throwing batting practice, etc can also be parts of everyday high school administrative life. At home, I try to be as present as I can. Boys practices, dinner time, listening to my wife…then off to bed by 9 pm. That is really hard when the Dallas Cowboys have late games…

4. What's a recent lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of as an Educational Leader?

I was talking to a potential teacher at a recent job fair and he was talking about working at a place where they understand the larger purpose of the job. This reminder I even shared with staff that we are more than just content and procedures…we are here for the whole child to be ready to go into the world. It is so easy to get into the little details and whirlwind and forget what we do. We are here to impact lives and help them into their future.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your journey as an Educational Leader so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted you?

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni. The breakdown of a humble, hungry and smart person is what we use in our interviews. There are some things we can teach in education. We can teach strategies for classroom management and instruction, but we cannot teach a love for children. We will hire a culture fit first over an instructional guru who might not fit culturally.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young educator who aspires to be an Educational Leader, what would you say to them?

You are about to enter one of the few professions that truly gets to impact a life every day. There are not many professions where you can say you changed the direction of someone’s life. In education, you will have that opportunity.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as an Educational Leader, so far?

This happened a few years ago, but there was a moment on Facebook where I started to see the students who taught start having jobs and families of their own. It is just an example that we truly get to impact lives and the results of our work are not always immediate. But it was great to see those first students I taught become truly great parents and great people and see the fruits of our labor.