“What I know for sure is that speaking YOUR truth is the most powerful tool we have.”
— Oprah Winfrey
This blog is a way for all of you to get to know me a little better. These topics will vary from education, political climate, social life, culture, and health to name a few. It is important that I share with you my authentic self!
Enjoy!
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly
Coronavirus takes over the world. I was just coming back from a work trip in Chicago and was convinced this would blow over in a week or two and here we are two months later living in this “new normal”. During this time, I have learned so much about myself the good the bad and the ugly. Ms. Rona has been a blessing and a curse.
The good: Whew I needed a break. A pause from bi-weekly flights and an ever-demanding lifestyle. By the time the virus hit, I had reached a point of exhaustion and so this unexpected dent in the plans caused my world not only to shift but literally just stop. All upcoming travel cancelled. Most external meetings cancelled. A forced stop sign is what it felt like. And for someone like myself who is used to controlling her day to day schedule this forced me to stop and focus on other things outside of work which has created some good and balance in my life. I’ve been able to start this process of self-discovery and purpose. Professionally, it is awesome to see how educators across America have literally moved mountains to meet the needs of millions of students across the nation.
The bad: Isolation is the worse especially for us semi extroverts. The first week I was like oh okay I’m cool I work remotely anyway…. yeah right. After about week 3, I legit could not handle it and opted to travel back and forth home to be with family and friends. I often wonder about the people who don’t have that option or are forced to look at the same walls for months. I also can only imagine what parents are going through right now. On a lighter note…what is so bad are these quarantine snacks!
The ugly: My mental and physical health has taken a toll! Anxiety and stress are real. After the first two weeks of paralysis, all of us educators/non-profit leaders moved into what I call “panic mode” and shifted into gears 2 and 3 at a pace that honestly still feels unrealistic. Most of us are burning the candles on both ends balancing trying to save every kid in the world, attending the five million webinars available, remotely teaching our kids, worrying about being laid off, while trying not to “catch Rona” in the grocery store. Wow, I feel like I’ve worked harder in the month of April than ever before. What is hard for me is planning for something we simply have never experienced before and still don’t know what will happen later this fall. Man, I know I can't be the only one out there who feels this way......Honestly, this month I’ve forced myself to hit the pause button and stop to put my own oxygen mask on. Who am I to help others if I am operating at 30%.
Self Care is so critical during this time. Take care of yourself.Well and the other ugly is this pandemic has shined a light on the inequities of our education system. I’ll save that rant for another day.
The “Unsweet” Sweet Spot
For about a decade now I have worked in this area of postsecondary success. My journey has taken me through higher education, charter systems, K-12 districts, and non-profit organizations. I sit in what I call the unsweet “sweet” spot. The gap between K12 and higher education. Yeah the area that is completely grey to both sides. The area that has to somewhat explain to the left side what the right side is thinking or doing. The area that I believe if we could narrow or close would lead to better outcomes for our students. Think about it? Now more than ever we need district leaders and college administration at the same table. I’ve been on so many conference calls and webinars where institutions are like “Hey Chantelle what are you seeing on the district side?”. And then I attend a webinar were districts and charter systems have created amazing resources and maps/journeys to success yet with no input from higher education. I don’t have all the answers, but I understand both sides and it starts with engagement and knowledge building. Here are a few nuggets for free HA.
If you are a superintendent or CEO of a charter network now is the time to:
1.) Identify the colleges/universities where majority of your students are enrolling into
2.) Start engaging with him/her/them. And to my community colleges, universities, workforce solutions, etc.
If you do not have a relationship with the communities where majority of your students are coming from. Get on it please! For those of you that have these partnerships in place. YAY! For the rest of you take the first step. Let us narrow this gap and learn more about each other’s systems.
#CGsCovidCronicles
Overcoming Doubt….
It has been awesome seeing all the black girl/black people magic all over social media. As a black woman even sharing this series has allowed me to step into true vulnerability and courage and feel supported by so many people from different backgrounds and perspectives. Before the George Floyd movement, I started to write this chronicle reflecting on the ups and downs of being a black woman. We, black women, exude brilliance and magic! We often are the backbones for not only our families but the companies/organizations we work for. The magic is what makes us special but if we are honest, we equally have moments of doubt, fear, and insecurity. Well at least I do. Some days I “woke up like this” in my Bey voice and other days I’m like “Am I enough? Am I better?” I have been reading Charlamagne Tha God’s book Shook One where he references PTSD in the black community. In the book, he discusses how many of us have untreated PTSD from our past experiences, childhood, life changing events, etc. In addition, I am a part of this coaching series where I completed a journey map of my life to really figure out my purpose statement. During both activities, I started to think about the experiences, good and bad, that have shaped my life. As a young black professional, a dark-skinned not so thin woman I might add, I began to uncover how these experiences have caused emotions of doubt in my life. I realize most of it started in school. Growing up I went to predominantly white schools where everyday I had to prove that I was just as smart or just as cool or just as worthy of accomplishments as my white counterparts. It was hard, and I do not think my parents knew how much pressure it was to feel like I had to be great. Not good enough. But better. Today, I still feel that pressure to be great. I am getting better and feel so much more secure with what I bring to the table, but I still have my moments.
Over the years, I have learned a few things. As my mom would say, I am sleeping with “both eyes open”. To my surprise, there are a few things to take away from here. I am working on myself with the enemy of comparison. The truth is the mediocre white man will always be there and there is not much I can do about it. What I can do is be aware of my own ideas and brilliance and how I choose to engage. I can speak up for myself and engage in healthy debate. And I can and will walk into any negotiation or leadership opportunity “like a mediocre white man”. Not because I am in the least bit mediocre, but because I know I possess the power within me to OWN it! DEMAND it! EXPECT it!
We must overcome doubt. Trust our brilliance. And guess what if you are not at the table. Build your own!
As Serena Williams said recently in her new Bumble ad,
“The world tells you to wait that waiting is polite. And good things are made to come to those who wait. But if I were to wait to be invited in, I never would have stood out.
If I waited for change to happen, I would have never made a difference. So make the first move!
Don’t wait to be told your place ......Take it!
And most of all Don’t wait to be given power because here’s what they won’t tell you...... you already have it!”