1. What were your motives for helping this person? I was on the committee to hire a new CTO for our school district. This person was engaging and we connected immediately about the work for students and the philosophy of educational technology. There were two finalists for the position that were submitted to the superintendent. This candidate was bright, forward thinking and would push us forward. The other candidate was bright and would keep things moving slowly along the current path. The superintendent saw this as an opportunity to leap forward just as I had. He started the position in a time when change was already occurring. Things were difficult for him due to a common fear of change and many egos afraid of this bright colleague. We continued to partner to work through the barriers in order to prepare for students and staff.
Changes in administration came to the district including my position. As a result, the partnership does not exist for the CTO. In contrast, there are attempts to diminish his role as well as use him as a scapegoat. He has reached out to me to support him.
I have been talking with him about options for him both in and out of the education secter. I want to support him in finding his next chapter. He deserves to find a place where he feels valued and appreciated. His talents are too good to diminish.
2. Did you benefit from this relationship in any way? How? We are great partners. He has helped me think more globally. I have learned a great deal from him. Our partnership provided a connection with curriculum and technology that was needed in order to support students and staff in this current environment.
3. What was your role in the helping relationship? In what way do you think you helped this person? Looking back, is there anything that you might have done differently? I listened. His frustration stemmed from many years of trying to prove himself as a man in the world that didn't already accept him. I could help him understand the K-12 learning space as well as the member of the "team." As we talked, I could see the constraints the system was placing on him as well as the difficulty this presented. We reviewed options and I encouraged him to look at a career with work values that matched his own. We discussed how his time in this space had prepared him for a new space that was a better match for him.
Knowing the "team," I had my own frustrations. There were times when I should have kept my own feeling in better check.
4. Was there anything that this person did, said, or believed that you did not agree with? How did you react? This was about his work values and his own experiences that had led him to those. My agreement wasn't a discussion. We have different work values because those are personal.
5. Did you learn anything from this relationship? I learned so much from this relationship. His willingness to make a change and move forward are admirable and an inspiration for this retiree looking for a new experience after 36 years in the same environment.