I was doing the work before I had the title.

Long before I had a paycheck, I had chores and expectations. Take care of what you have. Finish what you start.

Later I was a courtesy clerk, the guy pushing buggies in the parking lot. One day they asked me to clean the bathroom and I said I was not hired for that. My grandfather asked me a question I still hear: what makes you better than the person who has to do it? Then he added the part that stuck. Whatever you do in life, be the best at it, even if it is sweeping the floor.

I did not grow up mapping out a career in schools, but I ended up there, and it turned out to be the place my instincts actually worked. I am Black, gay, and neurodivergent. You learn early to read the room, read the rules, and read what is really being asked of you, and that becomes a skill for seeing patterns in people, in processes, and in what makes a system work or quietly fail.

I had coaches who did not let me stay comfortable, and that is when I got good. So I started coaching other people toward that same thing, not to collect a title, but to be genuinely useful wherever they land. I was rarely paid for the extra work, and I did it anyway because it was needed. Those were reps, and that on-ramp is the reason I could actually do the job when it came.

One of the greatest advantages I had was an on-ramp into almost every new role. I started as a paraprofessional before I owned a classroom. I facilitated trainings before I became an instructional coach. I had room to watch, practice, and build confidence before the full responsibility became mine.

Then I reached the director level, and the runway disappeared. A lot of educators never get an on-ramp at all. That is why I believe people should be able to practice the next role before the stakes are real.

As Director of Teacher Evaluation, I was the one people came to for advice. Then I looked up and asked myself the same question: where do I go from here? There was no clear place to find a mentor, a route, and real practice for the move, so I decided I would have to build it. Whether educators want to stay in the classroom and sharpen their craft or step into something new, they deserve a clear route and someone in their corner.