Leader of the Pack: Chi Nguyen, SLP'14

Boston-native Chi Nguyen has never wavered in his goal of becoming a “transformative school leader” in the Boston Public Schools (BPS). After broadening his foundation of knowledge in the Ed School’s School Leadership Program (SLP), he was recently offered his ideal position in BPS, as principal in one of the district’s many schools.

“The [application] process is intense, but it should be,” he shares. “A BPS principal needs to prove that he or she can lead teachers, students, and families.”

Throughout his time in SLP, Nguyen has proven himself the most capable student and leader, as recognized by both his peers in the cohort and its faculty.

“When Chi Nguyen applied to Harvard’s School Leadership Program, he wrote with passion and eloquence about his dream of one day being able to be a principal in a ‘neighborhood that has raised me and given me so many opportunities to improve, impact, and give back,’” says Lecturer Lee Teitel, director of SLP. “Along the way, Chi emerged as a powerful thought leader and role model within the SLP. … [His] humility and growth, his public willingness to model deep, personal learning for himself and others exemplified key core values for SLP and served as a model for the rest of us. He repeatedly says how much he has learned from us; but we — faculty, teaching fellows, and students — have also learned a so much from him. We are proud to give him this award.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for SLP, Nguyen answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? I learned that all adults can develop and grow. If we expect our students to continue to learn and grow, we must expect it of ourselves.  Before my SLP experience, I felt like my seven years of teaching had culminated to a point where my practice was solid and developed. After taking [Professor] Bob Kegan’s class on adult development, I know that adults have much more to work on in order to develop themselves and how they approach their lives.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? Professor Thomas Hehir taught me how to really change my mindset on working with students with disabilities. He forced me to dig deep and consider how our methods of reaching students could be changed. If we really want to become transformative leaders, we need to approach teaching all students in an inclusive environment using principles of universal design for learning. Not all learners learn the same, so we need to design our lessons to allow for multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation. The classroom learns best when teachers are preparing their best lessons for all learners to excel, not just the mainstream general education classroom.

How did you stay inspired throughout the year? When I drive to my practicum site and see students standing out in the subfreezing temperature at 6 a.m. waiting for their bus, I know that those faces are making a daily sacrifice. They believe their journey to their schools will provide them with opportunities to grow and develop into lifelong learners. I never want to settle for mediocrity or complacency because those faces teach me that there is a bigger purpose.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Challenge yourself and your insecurities. If you come in as a hotshot and don’t take risks, then you won’t gain as much from this experience. Please stay humble and expose yourself. You will be rewarded if you go that extra mile and challenge your comfort zones.

What will you change in education and why? We, as educators, need to talk about race and equity. How can we really address issues that are plaguing our schools such as the achievement gap and the school-to-prison pipeline if we can’t even talk about the main underlying issues that plague our schools? We need to feel comfortable addressing our fears when we discuss race and equity issues, so that we can teach our students. Our students learn when we can model and have discussions dealing with these issues. However, if we don’t talk about it, our students will have to overcome a hidden agenda, which puts them at a disadvantage.

Despite your busy schedule, you always make time for … My wife, in that we cook and laugh together. And also my two dogs, who help me understand that life isn’t stressful if you just go for a half-hour walk.

For a full list of this year’s recipients, visit http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news-impact/2014/05/intellectual-contributionfaculty-tribute-awards-announced/.