You'll usually find Rob Clements in his
favorite spot: assisting teachers with
the Drive Line. It is a kind of valet to
facilitate kids and their parents.
Parents drive through. Their car doors are opened to a friendly face who
greets both child and parent. For kids,
they are received into their day with a smile and parents have the reassurance
their children are in good hands. What a
way to begin a school day!
Mr. Clements is used to providing kids with an introduction
to their day. He previously worked for
Adventure Trek an organization that took kids into beautiful remote areas of
the U.S. wilderness to ultimately teach them life skills and how to build
relationships. It was a dream job that
combined his love for the outdoors with teaching others how to become more
independent and thrive. He became a small
businesses consultant who advised businesses to improve their function by
building strong communities, so they could survive the recession. As the journey continued, he applied for a random
job listing in education.
Walking out the dream sometimes requires leaving the path your
on and starting a new one. The theme of
independence and thriving along with building things to last has become a
concrete theme to follow. The trail
continues, after working at a couple of schools with major successes and one
who was resistant to the possibilities involved with change he landed a job at
Monarch Montessori. He knew nothing
about how a Montessori school functioned but had to assess what worked and what
needed fine tuning. Monarch was open for change for better
without interrupting the true character of Montessori and its curriculum.
Rob oversees two institutions within one school. First steps and charter are actually two
separate entities; daycare and academics.
Bottom line, find money for it and a school can grow. Financing is critical. Rob says, “Most charter schools fail because
of lack of funding.” Regular principals
usually come from the classroom. He is in
charge of the business aspect of the school.
He creates the budget for successful programs such as Super Kids reading
program! He is the manager of finance.
Leadership must be versatile. A person’s ego has to be swiftly kicked to
the side. He says the hardest thing
about schools is that they are full of people.
“You can’t get anything done unless there’s a relationship. It takes a lot of time and goals to create a
sense of family.” Along with valet, add mediator, host, (Coffee with
Mr. Rob is a place for parents to ask questions and get answers about what’s
happening at school). He can also add school
nurse to his repertoire. (He cleaned up a nasty cut my son received at school. He thoroughly explained how it would heal and
it was my choice if I wanted to take him home.
He was so calm in handling the situation. I felt comfortable letting my son continue his
day at school. His finger healed up fine
by the way.)
As someone who oversees Monarch Montessori he wants parents
to know, “He doesn’t have all the answers.”
Rob wants the school to be a better place for every child. For him hello means is a beginning. “It’s like having a blank slate to build upon.” He also
feels it is really important to give everyone a new beginning. If know a good principal, conventional or
otherwise, take some time to say hello their jobs are not easy but worth it. Have a wonderful day!
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