Whether you see her at events, pass her in the halls, or simply exchange a quick good morning, Ms. Cleveland has become a familiar presence at Green Hope. Now in her fourth year as principal, she reflected on her accomplishments, challenges, and journey to the role. As she puts it, “I’m kind of an open book. Ask a question and I’ll answer it.”
Before anything else, it’s worth looking back at where it all started: sports marketing. Right after college, Ms. Cleveland began working in the field with hopes of becoming an executive for a professional team. But as time went on, she realized it wasn’t the right fit. “I just felt really unfulfilled,” she said. She had a conversation with a friend at the time and was asked when the last time she felt fulfilled in a job. Ms. Cleveland’s reply? Coaching middle school field hockey. She realized the closest thing to coaching was teaching, to which she replied to the friend, “I probably have always wanted to be a teacher. I just thought that’s not what I’m supposed to do.”
She went on to earn her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Arizona State University and began teaching soon after. “[I] started teaching and loved it. [I] taught, coached, every club I could sponsor, all the things.” She said, “One of the things that I was asked to do was to become an instructional coach, and I really fell in love with that.” She then went on to become an assistant principal as she felt she would have a broader impact on not just students but also teachers. She actually did her internship here at Green Hope in 2013, later moving with the then principal to Athens Drive Middle School when he left Green Hope. Eventually, she decided she would be a better fit as principal, “It’s not that I wanted to make all the decisions and be the boss. I wanted to be able to guide decisions and provide perspective,” she shared. She then got a job as principal of Wakefield Middle School for five years and eventually landed back at Green Hope.
Many students wonder what it is that principals really do. The most interaction some students get with Ms. Cleveland is just passing her in the hallways. “If a high school was a Fortune 500 company, I would be the CEO, the CFO, the CTO, the head of professional learning, the budget manager, the head of HR, the head of communications and employee relations; each day is different. I try to manage a schedule and chunk out times, but then there are things that happen that I have to address right away. I try to stay out of my office because the learning’s not happening in the office.” Ms. Cleveland then continued to talk about how she wished students knew that the whole administrative team is here for students. She understands that decisions sometimes get made that students might not understand, but is always glad to answer any questions about them. While their badges may say principal or assistant principal, their goal is the same: to support all students.
Outside of school, Ms. Cleveland tries to find a work life balance similarly to most. “Some nights I don’t work, but it’s very rare. Either I’m trying to get caught up on the things I need to do, or I’m at a game or a performance. I would like to have more nights where I can breathe and watch a TV show, but, the best things about high school is the student life. It’s a show up, learn, connect, be involved, grow in the classroom and grow out of the classroom.” On those rare nights she finds herself without anything to do or catch up on from the day, she likes to keep her mind and body active. You can find her doing yoga, doing a jigsaw puzzle (the more pieces the better), making pasta from scratch on Sundays or going for a run.
When asked what she is most excited about this year, she didn’t hesitate: “I’m excited that our football team is 4-0 for the first time in 21 years, and I’m just glad to be here to see it. That doesn’t mean athletics is the only thing I care about—I go to all the chorus concerts, musicals, and art shows. I couldn’t appreciate this more, because honestly, I don’t know how to do any of it myself.”
Ms. Cleveland’s son, Trevor Cleveland (‘27), is a student at Green Hope. She hopes to connect with both students and parents from the perspective of a principal and a fellow parent. “[I think I bring] empathy, understanding, and listening. I go fast a lot, and I recognize that I need to slow down sometimes… I’m learning that just from being with my children. I need to give them space to talk to me. And I translate that into my work with my staff, students, and parents here.”
Ms. Cleveland does a great deal behind the scenes, much of which goes unnoticed. She cares deeply about Green Hope and is excited to see what the next four years bring. “I get a lot of joy because I get to interact with so many students… My goal is to make sure every student knows I respect them as a human.”
