It is hard to believe that this school year makes 25 years in the Wake County Public School System!  Ranging from a classroom teacher at Rand Road and Middle Creek Elementary Schools to leadership positions at River Bend, Poe Montessori Magnet, and Walnut Creek Elementary Schools, it is pleasure to serve the amazing students of Wake County each year. Three of those years also spent on loan to the NC Department of Public Instruction where I served as a member of a State Assistance Team serving students in Weldon City and Edgecombe County Schools. As a Raleigh native, I am also a proud product of this wonderful school district having attended Bugg Elementary, Carnage Middle and graduating Enloe High School. It is an honor to be able to give back to the school system that has given so much to me. Although an educator, I am also the wife to an amazing husband, Maurice, and mother to a wonderful son, Kairon (19). Kairon is a sophomore at North Carolina Central University majoring in Informational Technology. My parents, sister, niece and nephew are all in Wake County as well and we are a tight knit family. My family is my favorite group of people to hang out with!

My favorite quote as it relates to student achievement and social justice is, "We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do this. Whether we do it or not must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we have not done it so far.'' Believe it or not, this quote was penned by Rod Edmonds almost 40 years ago and is still relevant today. It guides my work daily and has shaped my leadership practices and perspectives over the years. 

As principal at Yates Mill, living out our school mission is my top priority. Each day, our goals are centered around actualizing the words of our school's mission statement and ensuring that ALL Yates Mill students are afforded rich, rigorous educational experiences they deserve.

Our Mission: Yates Mill Elementary School community members will collaborate to increase the achievement of all students by providing high-quality differentiated classroom instruction that fosters excellence to promote academic and personal growth.

I hope you join me in Taking the LEAP this year as we Lean into greatness, Embrace change, Appreciate differences and Pause for Self- Care. 

Let's make it an amazing year, Yates Mill family!

vmartin@wcpss.net
Follow @mill_yates