Name: Michael Bennett

Title: Superintendent

Organisation: Greenville Central School District, Greenville New York

Michael Bennett is an educator, an advocate, a lifelong New York resident, and a school shooting survivor. In his current capacity, Bennett is the Superintendent of Schools at Greenville Central School District, a rural district made up of 1,100 students roughly 30 miles south of Albany. Throughout his 26-year career in education, he has served as a Special Education Teacher, High School Assistant Principal, Middle School Principal, and an Assistant Superintendent. His passion for school safety stems from his experiences in the classroom.

In February of 2004, Bennett was shot by a student during a school shooting at Columbia High School in East Greenbush. The days, weeks, months, and years that followed the incident were filled with highs and lows. Recovery is an ongoing process, and part of that process is gaining the strength to help others. In 2019, Bennett was asked to join a group of current and former school leaders to found the NASSP Principal Recovery Network (PRN) - a national network of leaders who have experienced gun violence tragedies in their school buildings.

Over the next few years, the group collaborated to create a step-by-step recovery guide. Originally intended as a resource to aid in recovery from a school shooting, the PRN Guide to Recovery can be used to help leaders lead through any major event. In August of 2022, Bennett was part of a five-person panel to announce and discuss the release of the guide.

The ceremony was held at the Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colorado. 20 years after his own experience, Bennett continues to help other professionals understand the effects of school shootings on individuals, schools, and communities. In addition, he remains an advocate for schools and communities to receive increased mental health and school safety support.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

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

One of the more difficult aspects of educational leadership, at least in recent years, has been the ever-changing climate of the politics around education in the US. Trying to lead a public school while trying to balance the community's politics (often extreme on either side). Keeping the focus on our purpose and the laws that guide our decisions can be difficult for some of our community members. The growing influence of social media does not help. This has been an issue for families, but more importantly, for our students.

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

My path to Educational Leadership is a bit different from most. I worked in the private sector for some time before returning to school to get my Master's in Special Education, to teach. That is all I wanted to do. Teach and coach. That all changed for me on February 9th, 2004. On that day, we had a student enter Columbia High School with a gun. The student was able to fire off two shots from a shotgun before being approached.

Our assistant principal and I came upon the student in a smoke-filled hallway. As the assistant principal approached, the student turned and fired a third shot that struck me. I was hit in the leg and would be fine physically. Emotionally, it was a different story. The shooting sent me on a path to move from the high school to the middle school the following year.

It was there that I began to see that I could potentially have a bigger impact on education. After three years, I chose to go and become certified as an administrator. I became a Middle School Principal in a different district, and then an assistant superintendent, and finally a superintendent. It was through years of recovery and growth that I found my footing as an educational leader.

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

My days start at 4 AM. I have learned that exercise is an important part of my staying healthy, both physically and mentally. I arrive at work at 7:30 every morning and tackle my emails. My days are often filled with meetings with my educational leadership group, union officials, our buildings and grounds supervisors, and visits to the buildings. After 3:00 PM, my days are filled with committee meetings and/or catching up on emails. My nights generally end around 5:30, unless we have a board of education meeting, a sporting event, or a school production. Those days can end closer to 9:30 PM. The its a 40-minute drive back to my home.

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

Being your genuine self, as a leader, brings with it a greater acceptance and the ability to lead others. Only within the last few years have I realized that my vulnerability as a leader, helps me to build relationships with all of our stakeholders.

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?

Brene Brown's book Dare to Lead has had a big impact on me. The focus of the book really talks about the ability to lead from the heart and having the insight to understand other perspectives that will help to have difficult conversations. This book has helped me to have the confidence to lead by being true to who I am. It has helped to guide my career in such a way that I could find the opportunities to have the biggest impact.

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?

Find your purpose and then find the group that will help support your leadership. Trust your instincts, but be sure to listen. When I left one of my districts (I had been there 14 years), I had a board of education member say to the audience that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason, too many of us use our mouth and in doing so, never use our ears. The BOE member said that was my greatest gift, to be able to listen.

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

My one story starts with being a victim of a school shooting. I have been asked many times how I have been able to stay in education and rise to leadership roles after that incident. It was not easy for me. Staying true to who I was and finding the people, outside of my family, who understood and encouraged me.

I belong to a small network of administrators who have been involved in some of the biggest school shootings in America. In 2019, we formed the Principal Recovery Network with the help of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). These incredible leaders have helped to give me the strength to be the leader I am today.