Forest Hills — Andrew Ley enjoyed being an instructional coach in Forest Hills. It provided him with the opportunity to work in many district buildings, he said. But he felt a strong desire to be stationed in one building and “really see the work that we can do in supporting teachers and kids and families.”
Having already felt a connection with Central Middle School in his previous position, Ley said he knew when the assistant principal position became open it was “too good to pass up.”
“There’s something special about Central Middle,” Ley said. “It’s very welcoming. The people put kids first. They’re open to learning and it just felt like a really good spot to be.”
Other positions you have held in education:
- JK-12 Multi-Tiered System of Supports math instructional coach, Forest Hills Public Schools
- Elementary teacher, Byron Center Public Schools
- Elementary teacher at an environmental science magnet school in Ogden, Utah
Jobs outside of education: “I went to Michigan State University and I worked at the golf course there. It was a great job. I got up really early and got to cut a lot of grass and then play some golf and go to bed, because you’re tired because you had to get up early.”
Degrees/education:
- Bachelor’s degree in teaching and curriculum, Michigan State University
- Master’s degree in elementary education and social studies, MSU
What drew you to Forest Hills? “My wife, Kali Ley, worked here and so I had some working knowledge of what Forest Hills was like. In Byron Center, I was lucky enough to have a lot of teacher leadership positions within (Marshall Elementary School), which really sparked my interest and saw that side of teaching. I never thought I would do that. Thought I’d just be in the classroom. I love being in the classroom. With those (leadership) opportunities, I saw more and more that when this can be done well, this makes that easier. I wasn’t ready to jump into principalship right away and knew instructional coaching could be a bridge between those things. What drew me to Forest Hills was there was a position (in instructional coaching) there that came open.”
What would you like to share about your family? Ley’s wife, Kali, is a first-grade teacher at Knapp Forest Elementary. Their sons, Parker, third grade, and Brooks, first grade, also attend Knapp Forest.
What ideas or strategies will you bring to the school from your last position? “We are shifting curricula and at the middle level we are now using (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) curriculum (for the science of reading). This is our first year of implementation for the HMH curriculum for English Language Arts. So that’s my background. I supported teachers, mostly at the secondary level, with new curriculum, walking side by side with them, being a support as they tackle this big change. It’s a lot of ‘new.’
“At the same time, our math department is piloting two different resources with the potential of selecting a new resource for next year. So there’s a lot of new with that and that’s something that I enjoy. That’s my background a little bit with instructional coaching, supporting teachers in that way, making them feel like they’re making good choices for themselves and for kids.”
First concert: Steve Miller Band. “I grew up in Lansing and Common Ground (Music Festival) was the place to be.”
What book, movie, TV show, or podcast have you loved lately? Ley has been listening to podcaster and research professor Brené Brown, who has a new podcast with organizational psychologist Adam Grant called “The Curiosity Shop.”
“They talk about so many fascinating things about leadership, about being at work and having those organizations and how we make organizations run well. So I’m very curious about all those types of things. It’s fascinating, obviously, in this position, not to just learn from those that research all that stuff but can put it in really digestible terms.”
What historical figure would you love to spend the day with? Naturalist and “father of the National Parks” John Muir. “I feel like just hiking around Yosemite (National Park) with him would be a really enjoyable day.”
What is one thing on your bucket list? “I love history. I love reading about history and love learning about those things. So I would love to go to Normandy (France) and see the D-Day beaches there and explore that.”
Describe your leadership style in seven words or less: “I tend to think of myself as a service leader. I want to be in the service of others, but also keeping in mind the big picture. We need to be clear about our ‘why.’ Why are we doing those things? We’re here to serve others. We’re here to serve our staff, our students and our families.”
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