This is the letter I am about to send out.  It includes my interest in the Doane Specialist Program (Ed.S.) program, my interest in learning about district level responsibilities, and a sliver of my leadership philosophy.

I am not only interested, but very excited about, entering into the Doane Ed.S. Program.  I have just completed my fifth year as Assistant Principal, I am having a great time in my current leadership role, but I am interested in learning about the bigger picture of The American Education System.  The Doane program has been a part of my vision and a part of my plan for a long time as I know many who have enjoyed and grown from the Diane way.

With the help of the Doane Ed.S. Program, I am confident that I will grow my abilities to lead at building and the district level. I believe that at some point, one of those leadership roles will be superintendent.  In my estimation, I have interests and skill sets that align with an eventual superintendency or another district leadership position.  Quite frankly, I find the politics, finances, and bigger picture of education interesting.  I am greatly looking forward to the formal training, rich conversations, and a good excuse to learn from those outside of my daily routine.  I know that these experiences will help me learn the ropes of the district level responsibilities at a deeper level.  Not only will this help prepare for a future position, but it will also give me a better understanding as a building level leader.

There is always room to improve as a person as well as the programming and people that are under my leadership.  While there are a number of different philosophies to make this happen, I believe servant leadership is one of the most important.  As your rank grows, the onus to serve others grows alongside it; not the other way around.  I only want to serve in a position if I believe that I can make a difference by modeling and learning alongside of the stakeholders involved.  This includes service to school, district, church, and greater community through a variety of formal and informal, paid and volunteer, public and nonprofit, boards and teams.  Like the stakeholders that I serve, I love to use my strengths to make an impact.  My main job as a leader is to empower others to grow and embrace their strengths.  We are all better when each individual or group is allowed to thrive in their area of strength.  My hope is that my Doane leadership experiences not only help me grow but also allow me to build up and empower each stakeholder around me.  Please contact me at thekrdle@gips.org with any follow up questions or concerns.