School District of Lancaster

Justin Reese

Justin Reese is the High School Principal of J. P. McCaskey High School, Lancaster. Every day, he is engaging with students as an educational leader and educator, inspiring children to be successful in their college and safely safeguarding them.

Reese shared his expert insights for the upcoming 2025 edition of Education Insider. He offered valuable thoughts and his principal experience.

From Teacher to Principal, Always an Educator First

I started as a classroom teacher at McCaskey High School. I learned that students want adults to believe in them and instill that belief into them, which can make them successful. The best part of my day is when I work with students to develop their skills for their future careers, as they set out to achieve their goals.

Even after becoming the principal, I never stopped being the educational leader or educator for the entire 2700 students present at McCaskey. I interact with every student in the same way. Every morning, parents and guardians send their children to me, and it is my job to send them back intact and a little bit bigger, better than they were.

Life Lessons That Shape Leadership

Every opportunity and challenge gives a chance to achieve your milestones. Whether you a teacher or a brand-new principal, your life experiences will help you prepare for the upcoming challenges. For me, the opportunity to gain the trust of the city and be in charge of the only school, which is the flagship of the district, is something I would treasure for a lifetime.

Every Interaction Is a Lesson

I always see myself as an instructional coach and a teacher for all my staff and students. Every time I get to interact with them is a learning opportunity. I am here to support and help them achieve and instill the efficacy of success. Forget proving others wrong; we have to prove ourselves right through our own opportunities and daily actions.

Encouraging Ideas, Empowering People

Give people a chance to try new things, create an open atmosphere to comfortably approach, learn, support, and grow with each other while making mistakes correcting them.  When people come to you with ideas, you really can empower them by encouraging. I also think that my first answer as a principal should always be, “Yes, or I don’t know how we are going to do that, but let us figure it out”. Sometimes, your first answer cannot be “no”, you have to engage people and get a chance to grow and build things.

“As educators, we have to keep our eyes on things like AI and things that are developing and harness them to make sure that every student exceeds their expectations.”

Handling Challenges Efficiently

The pressure faced by the principals, ranging from academic performance to mental health, requires immediate action. As a principal, you could not tackle them all in silos. You must understand that, whether it is budgetary, academic, social, emotional, or mental health, all are intertwined while preparing students and the school for success. The environment you create should be work-friendly, supportive, and a single environment to tackle those problems at once is crucial to overcoming the challenges.

The Future of Student Success

It is crucial to create personal journeys for students that fulfill their needs and goals. As educators, we have to keep our eyes on things like AI and things that are developing and harness them to make sure that every student exceeds their expectations.

We will continue to see a hyper-charged approach to individual pathways for students with more choice and voice in education. As technology emerges, students will be able to access and share information in ways that we have not imagined. In the next five or ten years, innovative school systems will create personal pathways to support students individually.

Building Systems That Serve Students First

The advice to anyone who wants to make an impact or lead a school is that empowering people can absolutely change the students and the school system. Supporting students' best interests will allow you to develop a system that works for the kids and the adults working in the school system.