Denver Public Schools

Dr. Sandra Lochhead

Dr. Sandra Lochhead is a tenured educational leader with hands-on experience fueling her dedication to provide equitable opportunity to all students. She has served across instructional, administrative and leadership roles over the course of her 35-year career. Director of Schools for Denver Public Schools, Dr. Sandra is deeply committed to providing students with enriching learning experience in public schools while upholding academic standards.

In an interview with Educational Insider, Dr. Sandra shared insights on her career trajectory, her strive to provide appropriate education and the importance of leveraging resources from the community and stakeholders in supporting high-quality public schools.

Meeting Intersectional Requirements of Public Education

Over the course of my career, I have led leadership development and pipeline initiatives, leveraging innovative practices to improve outcomes of public education. These practices have helped my striving to dismantle inequitable systems through collaboration with schools, central teams and external partners. My roles as a specialty education teacher in dedicated schools and then as an itinerant special education resource teacher in community schools fueled my dedication to partnering with families, communities and educators to meet the distinct needs of students.

Teaching as a K2 multi-age general education teacher truly instilled in me a sense of responsibility to meet the intersectional needs of students who learn in distinct ways. This humbling experience helped me understand the importance of collaborative efforts by mentors, educators and management authorities.

Translating Educational Equity to Tangible Outcomes

Equity means providing specific resources that cater to the needs of children, helping them achieve their goals.

Focused on transforming educational systems by centering antiracist practices in continuous school improvement, my learning during my doctorate research deepened the ideology of education being a civil right of all students, regardless of varied circumstances and characteristics.

Providing students with varied resources adapted to their learning methods and abilities can be foundational and this distinct support ensures educators and students are supported with teaching and learning experiences without compromising the standard.

Leading Conversations about Equitable Education

Beginning conversations by acknowledging and emphasizing the principles and objectives that resonate with everyone involved helps establish a common ground in the community and system. With education being the foundation of our future, it is important to navigate the concept by understanding the factors that influence its course.

True transformation requires courageous and difficult conversations. Grounding in our charge of serving all students, it is imperative to ensure all expectations are met with unwavering commitment to student success and community development.

I think by anchoring our conversations to our shared beliefs and goals while keeping in mind the best interests of our students can keep us unified in our path to empower students and foster equity.

Cultivating Responsible Innovation through Collaboration

Innovation develops a sense of autonomy and job satisfaction. However, unchecked measures of the same can inhibit gradeintense learning. Building a shared understanding of the priorities and associated expectations cultivates transparency among teaching teams. In my opinion, focusing on the methods of achieving innovative teaching is valuable to meeting educational goals.

“True transformation requires courageous and difficult conversations rooted in curiosity and compassion. It is imperative to understand the expectations and meet them with an unwavering commitment to every student’s success.”

Innovation needs to be grounded in a careful consideration of several factors such as curriculum programming, ratio of novice and tenured teachers and culture dynamics. Engagement with this data drives structured innovation. A collaborative approach of sharing research, teaching models and building capacity through coaching inspires and guides educators.

A system of metrics designed to assess and reflect on the progress of innovation and the adherence of regulations helps build collective efficacy of the educator community, while also honoring professional expertise.

Measuring Effectiveness of Learning Programs

Student academic progress is an essential measure of the effectiveness of learning programs. Their ability to read, think mathematically and engage scientifically in critical endeavors is a vital measure. However, assessing the effectiveness of schools and learning programs requires more than just internal evaluations. It’s important for our students and educators to feel a sense of safety and growth to help them thrive. It is also primary to understand and incorporate the community’s perspective on the effectiveness of learning programs as multiple stakeholders are invested in the experience. Including the community’s expectations of learning programs can help set the direction of progress.

Word of Advice for Aspiring Educators and Leaders

Modern education comes with an array of multifaceted and intricate requirements placed upon educators and systems. Adopting an asset-based learning approach as an effective tool to encourage participatory learning and teaching through a common vision and shared goals helps navigate the complexities of instructional demands.

Using varied sources of qualitative and quantitative data builds a shared understanding of the ongoing progress relative to the desired goal of the community.

In situations of inhibition to innovation or change, active and open listening becomes crucial. Genuinely understanding the underlying concerns or reservations of stakeholders helps leaders build trust and foster an environment where newer approaches are welcome.

At the individual level, consistent documentation of personal reflections on experiences bridges the gap between what one intends or perceives and the actual delivery and application of those intentions. The implementation of personal plans requires educators to push themselves to take calculated risks and embrace feedback, even when it feels vulnerable. Doing so helps educators learn and continuously improve. It is also important to choose and work in growth-focused environments that present new challenges and help discover one’s leadership stance.

Education is also community-driven. Collaborative working with mentors, parents and stakeholders and engaging with them to gather diverse insights helps build a stronger foundation of goals and associated requirements.