Welcome to David Raft's Portfolio!
My name is David Raft, Principal of Saline Middle School. I graduated from Saline High School and attended Eastern Michigan University where I received my bachelor’s degree in Business Education and my master’s degree in Educational Leadership. I am currently completed my 2nd masters in Educational Technology through Michigan State University. I am married to Trisha, a Kindergarten teacher here in Saline and we have two teenage daughters.
I have been very fortunate in my educational career to have had many experiences. I spent my first three years teaching in Indiana before returning to Saline. I taught Marketing at the High School; was a Career & Technical Education teacher; coached High School Football and Baseball; was a Drivers Education Instructor; an Assistant Principal at Heritage School a 5th /6th grade building; then I was named Principal of Harvest Elementary, a brand new school within the district. Now, I love my life here at the middle school. Whether I am working with seniors in high school, redirecting a 7th grader or reading with a first grader, I have come to one conclusion: Kids are kids and they all possess many of the same needs, but we as educators have to understand what those are and tailor them to their developmental stages.
I have been very fortunate in my educational career to have had many experiences. I spent my first three years teaching in Indiana before returning to Saline. I taught Marketing at the High School; was a Career & Technical Education teacher; coached High School Football and Baseball; was a Drivers Education Instructor; an Assistant Principal at Heritage School a 5th /6th grade building; then I was named Principal of Harvest Elementary, a brand new school within the district. Now, I love my life here at the middle school. Whether I am working with seniors in high school, redirecting a 7th grader or reading with a first grader, I have come to one conclusion: Kids are kids and they all possess many of the same needs, but we as educators have to understand what those are and tailor them to their developmental stages.
My thoughts on what makes a great Educational Leader!
What truly makes a great educational leader? I have asked that question many times. For some reason the answer is not as simple as it may seem, it is truly complex. Everytime I begin to think the answer is easy, I engage in a situation that changes my thought process. My reference to the Mr. Potato head administrator is based on my philosophy that within each leader there are qualities that make an outstanding leader. We all bring different strengths to the profession of an educational leader. I have three goals as a leader and they all relate to being successful in the educational system. First, I want to create a safe, fun learning environment that prepares young people for real life experiences. Secondly, I want to provide professional development to the staff that is meaningful in the growth of young people. Finally, I want to continue to develop my skills as an educational leader, so that I can better support staff, students and parents with the continuous demands we face in education. So as I build on my experiences and attempt to answer the question, what truly makes a great educational leader? I've realized I need to continue to learn day to day and add different parts to my potato head!