Dr. Rachael George thought education was the last place she would end up while she was fighting wildland fires with the U.S. Forest Service. It wasn’t until a hard conversation with a base manager in Grangeville, Idaho did Rachael realize she needed to put her chainsaw down and make a bigger impact on the world.  Rachael is a member of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2015 and currently serves as the principal of Sandy Grade School in the Oregon Trail School District.  Over the past six years, Sandy Grade School has moved from being one of the lowest-ranked elementary schools in the state of Oregon to performing in the top 20% of elementary schools.  Sandy Grade School has been recognized by the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) as a Model School for closing the achievement gap.  Prior to serving as an elementary principal, she was a middle school principal of an “outstanding” and two-time “Level 5: Model School” as recognized by the State of Oregon.  Rachael specializes in curriculum development, instructional improvement as well as working with at-risk students and closing the achievement gap. She has also co-authored two books (She Leads:  The Women’s Guide to a career in Educational Leadership with Majalise Tolan), and (Principaled:  Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve with Kate Barker and Kourtney Ferrua).  

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dr. Rachael’s current agility to navigate through grief in a stunningly beautiful way, and
• She pays deep honor to her late husband John George as she shares her individual process for learning how to lead in all the spaces she does without as she says her best friend
• Dr. Rachael shares more about her latest book, She Leads, and we hear great wisdom from her around the topic of leading from your space of joy and passion. 

Friends, this episode got right to my heart, and I could feel my throat tighten with emotion all throughout it, and yet, we had moments of laughter and joy mixed in to demonstrate in real time that agility as well as the truth that grief is not linear.  I am so deeply inspired by Rachael, and I believe firmly that you were meant to hear her story today. It is with a joyful heart and a strong sense of purpose that I share with you Dr. Rachael George’s Agility story. 

Connect with Rachael:

Rachael onTwitter

Rachael on IG

Rachael on Facebook

Rachael email 

Rachael’s website

She Leads:  The Women’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership

Principaled:  Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve

Episode 110: In AWE of PrincialED Crew-Pathfinders series

Sarah Johnson: 

• Sarah’s Website
• Sarah on Twitter 
• Sarah on IG 
• Sarah on LinkdIN 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahsajohnson 
• In AWE Podcast: www.inawetorise.com
• Subscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-awe-podcast/id1446046418 

Need a high-energy, authentic presenter for your organization?

Contact Sarah Johnson for presentations on Going Beyond Balance, Leadership Foundations, Affirming Purpose, and many more. 

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