Happy Principal Appreciation Month: Meet the Principal of Vanderpoel Humanities Academy

Principal Jason Davis pursued education as a career to be the advocate that he never had as a student. He believed that he would be able to take students under his wing, provide them with direction, and ultimately set them on a path toward reaching their full potential. 

His plans didn’t include transitioning into school leadership at first. In fact, he thought he would never become a principal and would “teach until he was 70.” But he has followed a philosophy of letting the right role find him rather than chasing a specific title. 

“I was a little disheartened by my first leadership position because it didn’t fit the mold in my mind,” said Principal Davis. “But then I transitioned to another school, Owens, and it was a great experience. It definitely helped me transition into the principal role that I have now.” 

At Owens, he was able to build his skill set in many different areas. He joined the school not knowing much about cluster programs, and he left with a deeper understanding of the spectrum of services that are provided for students with disabilities. He also learned how to improve family and community engagement, build strong systems for maximizing attendance, and lift morale among staff members. 

He has brought all of that knowledge with him to Vanderpoel, and his first year as principal was very successful. Now, he explains, his focus is on replicating that success in year two without putting pressure on his team. 

“Of course, the focus is on the students, but my staff has to be taken care of as well,” he said. “We all have to grow in our own capacity.” 

As a newer principal, he sees the best way to get everyone on the same page is to familiarize his staff with his instructional vision in phases. Right now, he is reflecting on the past year with the goal of checking a few more boxes this year. He says that he wouldn’t do anything differently because even the mistakes he made are an opportunity to grow and do better. 

“Being a principal starts with taking care of your people,” he said. “I aim to make my parents feel just as comfortable as my teachers, and my teachers just as comfortable as my students.” 

With this focus on collective care, Principal Davis explains that he can create a culture of shared accountability at Vanderpoel. The school becomes an ecosystem where everyone looks out for each other and encourages them to put their best foot forward both in and out of the classroom. 

There are so many pieces of advice that he shares with his students over the course of the year, but the first thing that comes to his mind is to encourage them to focus on their hardest work first. He sees this as a way for them to better manage their academic responsibilities because it allows them to approach their easier work with less stress. 

This is just one example of the student-centered environment that is being cultivated at Vanderpoel under his leadership. He is an effective leader because he is everyone’s advocate and is building the foundation to ensure one successful school year after another. 

“We are creating a system that promotes consistency both instructionally and culturally so that we can replicate the success we’ve had,” he said. “I have to be on the side of all my stakeholders in this system because that is where my accountability truly rests.”