Grand Rapids — Ask new Sibley Elementary Principal Faith Fugit to name her favorite song, a tune that defines her outlook and values, and she’ll barely take a beat before answering: “No Scrubs.”
The TLC hit, a famous dig at those who don’t pull their weight, appeals to Fugit not because she’s a taskmaster, but because it squares with her worldview that every job — especially in a school — is important.
“I like to be part of a community where everyone pitches in. Where we all do different things, but we do them well,” Fugit said. “Because every person, from the principal to every other job on campus, needs to be pulling their weight and contributing where they can.
“That’s how a school works well,” she added, “with no ‘scrubs.’”
Fugit, who originally hails from Texas, is a community-minded educator and administrator who knows the value of a good neighborhood school. That makes Sibley the perfect landing spot for her.
Fugit sat down with SNN to talk a bit more about herself.
‘I’m interested in public schools, I’m interested in urban school districts, and I’m interested in community schools that serve the students who actually live in the neighborhood.’
— Sibley Elementary Principal Faith Fugit
Other positions you have held in education:
- High school English and ESL teacher, Houston Independent School District, Houston, Texas
- Teacher and founding committee member, Houston Academy for International Studies Early College High School, Houston
- Assistant principal and principal, Elmore Elementary School, Houston
- Assistant principal, Westbury High School, Houston
What about jobs outside education? Fugit worked as a project manager for Ohlinger Studios, a course and curriculum development company. She also worked with virtual ESL company Talaera, helping worldwide clients improve their English skills to advance their careers.
And, she added, “I used to work at Blockbuster, back in the day. … That was a great job.”
Education/degrees:
- Bachelor’s in English and master of arts in teaching, Trinity University, San Antonio
- Master’s in principalship, University of Texas
What drew you to this district/building? Fugit and her family were already keen to move to Grand Rapids after visiting the area during a cross-country road trip, and she knew that Grand Rapids Public Schools was the district for her.
“I’m interested in public schools, I’m interested in urban school districts, and I’m interested in community schools that serve the students who actually live in the neighborhood,” she said. “And Sibley is a neighborhood school. … These are students who live right in our backyard.
“Not only do we serve the kids directly around us, but we just have such strong community support. … It’s a great place to be.”
What would you like to share about your family? “I have two sons, a sixth-grader and a fourth-grader, and my husband is also a teacher. He’s at West Michigan Aviation Academy.”
Why did you want to become an administrator? “The ability to work on a systems level as opposed to the classroom level. And to make an impact on some of the things that affect students that, as a teacher, you don’t have as much ability or time to be dealing with.
“As an administrator, you can work with parents, you can connect them with social services, you can work with outside partners, you can work with people from the district, and bring those supports in to help students. So I liked the ability to do that.
“And I like that every day is different, and that I get to kind of stay on my toes.”
Name three great things about going into K-12 education: “The first is the students. The students are the special sauce, the magic, whatever you want to call it, that makes you feel happy.
“And seeing the direct impact of your work, especially if you live in the community where you work. To see it in action over the years. To see students becoming doctors, becoming lawyers, going to college. … To actually be able to see the progress of what you do.
“And just the learning. The incredible amount that you learn every day about how people live, what their lives are like, the challenges they face, the things they have to navigate. It’s just very humbling to be involved with supporting people in that.”
What ideas or strategies will you bring to Sibley from your last posting? “I don’t want to jump in and say what I’m going to do before really carefully looking at data and what’s already happening. There are a lot of really effective things happening here already. … But I’m in the process of gathering that data.
“One thing, specifically, that I bring is the ability to use data, to analyze data, and to then create action plans on it. We already have staff who are really excellent teachers and know how to teach what needs to be taught, and something that I bring is just a very heavy emphasis on analyzing the numbers.”
Describe your leadership style in seven words or less: “Organized, straightforward, joyful, dependable, loyal, open-minded.”
What’s one thing that’s on your bucket list? Though she hasn’t done it in a few years, Fugit loves mountain climbing. She said she’d like to get back into it, and summit Mount Elbert in Colorado.
She’d also like to learn calculus.
What book, movie, TV show or podcast have you loved lately? “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond was an impactful read, Fugit said.
“It’s about eviction and housing in America. It’s something I think about a lot because the housing challenges that families are facing are really intense right now. So that book really goes into how evictions affect people, how they disproportionately affect people in certain groups, and the laws that do or don’t help people.”
Anything else? “I’m just very grateful to be at Sibley. I’m very excited about our year. I’m just amazed at the staff and what they’re already doing here, and the amount of community support that just pours itself into our students.”
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