National School Principals Month
Passionate. Supportive. Inspirational. These are just a few of the words we heard from students, faculty, and staff about our hardworking team of principals. Each October, National School Principals Month is a chance for us to recognize their commitment, excellence, and leadership. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the essential role our principals play in creating the positive and supportive culture that has come to define ASU Preparatory Academy and ASU Prep Digital.
As a tribute to our fearless leaders, we invite you to learn more about a few of our ASU Prep principals, including their favorite part of the job and what they’ve learned about leadership through the pandemic.
Dr. Johanna Even, Principal
ASU Prep Phoenix Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and High School
What is your favorite thing about being a principal?
My morning walks! Every morning I start the day by greeting our staff and students over the loudspeaker and then walking around campus to say good morning and check in with everyone. I get to see families as they drop off their children, greet students as they arrive, and check with teachers as they greet their students at their thresholds. The energy I get from everyone in our community gives me the strength to tackle whatever challenges come my way!
What have you learned during the pandemic?
So much! Of course there are all of the technical skills like how to lead in a state of continuous flux – from hybrid, to in-person, to virtual and back again – and how to manage complex Covid mitigation and quarantine procedures. But more importantly, I have learned new skills and strategies for leading with “wise compassion.” While I have always known the importance of taking care of my team and my people and of building strong collaborative teams, this has been so much more of an acute need during the pandemic.
Claudia Mendoza, Principal
ASU Prep Polytechnic Preschool, Poly STEM Academy, Spark Institute, and Poly STEM High School
What is your favorite thing about being a principal?
I love that as a principal I can make a positive impact on our entire school community— students, teachers, and families. I also enjoy spending my day with our students PreK-12. They all make my heart smile every day. Lastly, I feel proud to be part of a bigger purpose. Our students = our future!
What have you learned during the pandemic?
I have learned the true meaning of grace and flexibility! I’ve learned that it’s not only important to give grace to others but also to allow myself grace, not only as a leader at our Poly campus but also as a woman: mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend!
Dr. Sage Sirotkin, Principal
ASU Prep Digital High School
What is your favorite thing about being a principal?
Coaching and supporting teachers and helping them expand on areas that they excel at and helping them grow in areas where they previously struggled. In this way, I feel like I am able to reach and support more students through my work with the teachers.
What have you learned during the pandemic?
This isn’t something that I have learned new—more like something that I think has become highlighted because of the pandemic: It is critical that we embed social-emotional learning into the fabric of our programming. Students need both support in social-emotional aspects of their lives and need to learn how to manage challenges to their social-emotional health and well-being.
Dr. Robert (Bobby) Striebel, Principal
ASU Prep Digital High School
What is your favorite thing about being a principal?
I thoroughly enjoy working with our faculty to create innovative teaching strategies that might be applied to various courses and curricula, and to support teachers in developing their own unique digital footprint.
What have you learned during the pandemic?
I have gained a better understanding of the need to support teachers through their professional and personal challenges, so they might be better equipped to support their students. The pandemic has impacted the degree of professional and personal challenges that teachers might face.
Allison Voltaire, Principal
ASU Prep Digital Elementary, K-3
What is your favorite thing about being a principal?
My favorite thing about being a principal is experiencing the innovation, efficiency, and collaboration that it takes to do amazing work for students. Our students are our main priority and when you have a group of teachers and staff members with the same goal to support students, magical educational opportunities happen. It makes me extra proud to be a Digital principal and watch how successful our students, families, teachers, and staff members are in this incredible environment.
What have you learned during the pandemic?
I have learned that the pandemic has brought the human race together. While most people have felt and can understand the incredible amount of stress, fear, and grief that this pandemic has given us, it has also taken an incredible amount of grace, patience, understanding, and kindness to keep reaching goals and trying to keep life moving in the right direction for each family. We are quite literally all in this together.
Bright futures start with strong leadership.
Our principals play a key role in shaping the education of all of our ASU Prep students, from PreK through 12th grade. It’s why we offer a choice of in-person, online, and hybrid school programs that offer accelerated paths to college admission, preparing students for college, careers, and life.
To learn more about ASU Prep programs, visit ASU Preparatory Academy and ASU Prep Digital.
