Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Greco.
Hi Katherine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, I admired many of my own teachers and knew from a young age that working in education was the path meant for me.
After completing my Master of Arts in Teaching in 2015, I began working at Thales Academy, a network of private PK-12 schools, founded by Mr. Robert Luddy. I found myself loving the teaching profession. I volunteered regularly around campus for additional duties and coached volleyball and cheerleading. Bringing high energy and compassion to the classroom was always my goal. I fostered strong student-teacher relationships and found myself learning more from my students than I could ever teach them.
Within the Thales Academy Classical education model, JH/HS students focus on Socratic dialogue and participating in respectful discourse with their peers. This style of learning touched deeply on the principles I always wished to instill in students of my own. Helping students learn how to question and discuss with skill and respect is so important. I feel that we live in a world where the abilities to speak your point with rhetorical skill and respectfully engage in dialogue with those of differing viewpoints has been lost. To teach this to students means we are shaping the future in a positive way.
A few years later, I was presented with the opportunity to move overseas for a few years. Although it pained me to leave behind my school community, I chose to move to Italy and took on the role of a special education paraprofessional at a Department of Defense school. In this role, I was able to enter classrooms regularly and see different teaching styles and practices. I was able to assist students with special needs by ensuring they were challenged and respected. I worked alongside some incredibly wonderful educators whom I learned so much from. While I value that experience, I will be honest in saying that were times I found myself disheartened seeing how these students were sometimes grouped into assumed similar ability and failed to reach their full potential. I saw firsthand how very capable many of these students were of completing more challenging work. I also saw how the public school system suffered from tendencies to present dull curriculum and hold teachers to standards not on par with what our students deserve. It was then that I truly realized what Thales Academy was doing was different and was something I wanted to continue being a part of. That is why upon returning to the United States, I came back to Thales Academy.
I also completed my second Master’s degree and Yoga Teacher Training while living abroad. Continuously learning and upholding a value for education in all forms is something important to me that I am proud to model for students and peers alike.
I also developed a love for travel while overseas, going to over twelve different countries. Experiencing the culture of others and history of different places is nothing short of amazing. Travel is very important to me.
After teaching and coaching for a few more years, I entered leadership. First serving as an assistant administrator and then entering the Head of School role for a brand new JH/HS building. Leading a school brings a whole new set of challenges. It requires taking on the enormous task of maintaining a school environment that is safe, produces high levels of learning, develops high-quality educators, and merges staff, students, and families into a strong community. The reward of this work is less tangible. I may not see a student’s eyes light up when they understand a concept anymore, but I see the smiles of students and staff in hallways and classrooms and that is validation enough that the work of a school leader matters.
Today, I am honored to serve as the Head of School for both the PK-5 and JH/HS Thales Academy campuses in Holly Springs. Serving over both buildings comes with a higher workload, but it is something I am truly honored to do. I lead our campuses in implementation of strong curriculum, uphold high rigor well-balanced with grace, keep expectations of staff high while also providing support and affording trust, ensure student behavior reflects care for one’s self and others, foster second-tier leadership by highlighting the wonderful skillsets of my fabulous staff, and most importantly working hard to br a role-model for our Top 15 Outcomes. I strive each day to lead by example and form strong relationships with students, staff, and parents.
Teaching, coaching, and leading students is no easy feat, but my advice to anyone working in education is that when you open your heart to these children, you won’t be disappointed. I cannot image anything more rewarding than working alongside students as they uncover truth, beauty, and goodness. Being a part of not only their educational journey, but the formation of their character is nothing short of an honor.
Should you need direct quotes from the Thales Academy website regarding the mission and curriculum:
“Here at Thales Academy, we believe schools should accomplish three main objectives: teach students knowledge, teach them how to think on their own, and give them the tools they need to reach their greatest potential.”
“In 2007, Thales Academy was born with a simple vision: Provide a high quality, affordable education. Daily, we strive to improve our methods and raise the bar of excellence, while simultaneously streamlining efficiencies in order to keep costs low. We are committed to providing the best opportunities for as many students as possible.”
“The mission of Thales Academy is to provide an excellent and affordable education for students in Pre-K to 12th grades through the use of Direct Instruction and a Classical Curriculum that embodies traditional American values.”
“Thales provides a rigorous academic environment that fosters ethical behavior, critical thinking, virtuous leadership, lifelong learning, and truth seeking with a firm foundation in cognitive, non-cognitive, and technical skills. As a result, Thales Academy students are well prepared to succeed in higher education, career, and life while positively impacting the world around them.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My path has had its ups and downs, as all of ours have. However, I have realized that being positive and practicing gratitude has tremendous value.
On a personal level, balancing personal obstacles such as my BRCA2+ diagnosis and managing multiple surgeries while still teaching and entering leadership was difficult. Missing work, planning lessons in advance, and battling with medical stressors and lack of energy wasn’t easy. However, during these times, recognizing the care and support provided by others made me realize how lucky I truly was. And the support of my family, friends, and school community helped me overcome these difficult times with a smile on my face.
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Teaching is difficult between grades, parent emails, keeping students engaged, and planning lessons with strong deliverables, stress is inevitable. But upholding strong organization skills and being well-prepared helps ease unnecessary stress.
Leading a school is a rollercoaster at times. You never know what to expect from one minute to the next. However, building up your staff and teachers and allowing them to operate as committees of one helps the seemingly insurmountable task seem much more reasonable.
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I also love working out and workout regularly. Yoga and strength training are important aspects of my life that help me feel grounded and let me tackle each day with confidence.
Also, friendship. My best friends who have become true family all work alongside me at Thales. They have lifted me up during the most difficult times in my life and we cannot sell short the impact and value of true friends.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work as the Head of School (principal) for a private school, serving as the leader of two building within the same campus, one PK-5 campus and one JH/HS campus. I have the privilege of leading a school community that merges rigorous academics with forming the whole child.
Known for: Building a positive school culture in which I work hard to foster meaningful connections with students, staff, and parents.
Most proud of: Either 1- Completing two Master’s degrees with a perfect 4.0 GPA. I like to push myself to my pull potential and see what I can achieve when I give my all to a task. or 2- Being asked to serve as the leader of two campuses. It is an honor that the Thales Founder and Board entrusted me with this important task and it speaks to my dedication to our students, staff, families, and our mission as a whole and that makes me feel proud of the work I do.
Sets me apart: My resilience in times of stress OR that I started at Thales in the classrooms, so I know what it takes to support my teachers and faculty and make those important community connections. I feel that it grounds my leadership and helps me stay engaged with the day-to-day of our school.
What matters most to you?
What matters to me most is making a positive impact on students and staff. I want my staff to feel supported and encouraged to be their best. I want my students to leave our care knowing how they can contribute meaningfully to the world around them.
If I can create a positive environment and ensure our students feel supported, I know it is possible to change the trajectory of their lives in a positive way. If I can foster an environment that embraces this truth, then I will have done my job successfully.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thalesacademy.org
