I first met Ben Koch when he was hired as the Director of Intermediate Education for our school. He had recently relocated to Rochester, NY from his beloved City of Philadelphia.
We actually called him in for a Dean of Students interview but in the charter world things move very quickly and he was offered the position of Director of Intermediate Education.
Before Working With Me:
Ben only had experience as a high school Spanish teacher and didn’t have a lot of knowledge of Elementary teaching and learning.
He had also never been a supervisor of teachers.
What Ben had was a desire to be the BEST leader he could be and a work ethic to make that happen.
He was committed to the school, the students, and the staff.
After Working With Me:
Mr. Koch’s efficacy as a leader matched his desire and he developed into a highly respected school principal.
Mr. Koch grew tremendously in his role as an instructional leader and after only one year became the building principal.
He developed systems for classroom and behavior management that was universally applied in the intermediate classrooms.
Mr. Koch grew in his ability to have difficult conversations with staff and parents.
He was able to secure a work-life balance
When asked about his experience working with me Ben said, "She really did an incredible job building my foundation as a leader.”
Mr. Koch chose to return to his hometown of Philly and is now, as he explains it, in his dream job. I am humbled to have been a part of his growth that eventually helped him move back to his hometown and be near his family!
In love, friendship, and leadership,
