Episode 59: Leading as a Learner: Dr. Jess Quinter on MTSS, School Culture, and Principal Leadership

What does it take to lead a single school so well that your influence reaches across a district, and into state and national conversations? We sat down with Dr. Jess Quinter, Principal of Park Forest Elementary in Pennsylvania and NAESP Zone 2 director, to unpack a career built on learning, trust, and steady systems that actually help kids.

Jess shares how teaching across grades and serving as a Title I reading specialist shaped her leadership lens, and why becoming principal in the same building where she taught demanded radical clarity and patience. We explore the daily habits that build credibility, modeling professional learning alongside teachers, helping with benchmark assessments, and narrating the why behind every change. Her “lead learner” mindset isn’t a slogan; it’s the backbone of culture.

We dig into MTSS and PBIS as the engine of equity across eight elementary schools: aligning Tier 1 instruction, defining entry and exit criteria, and creating common processes without silencing local voice. Jess explains how district teams move from siloed efforts to consistent support, and how data becomes a tool for compassion rather than compliance. Then the conversation widens to advocacy, why association membership matters, how NAESP elevates principal voices, and practical ways to work with legislators, from rapid-response feedback on bills to inviting them into classrooms to see programs in action.

Aspiring administrators will hear blunt, generous advice about timing opportunities, finding mentors, and staying human through change. Veteran leaders will recognize the power of small, visible acts that compound into trust. If you care about instructional leadership, literacy training, school culture, and real-world advocacy, this conversation offers a blueprint you can use tomorrow.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who’s ready for their next step. What’s one move you’ll make this week to lead as a learner?

Connect with Dr. Jess Quinter:

LinkedIn: Jess Quinter

Email: jlq11@scasd.org

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Chapters

• 0:00 A Leader Who Shapes A Region
• 4:00 Origin Story: Choosing Education
• 5:50 Teaching Across Grades And Roles
• 9:40 Strengths, Relationships, And Modeling
• 12:44 Stepping Into Administration
• 14:56 Becoming Principal Where She Taught
• 20:01 Lessons From A Small Rural School
• 23:32 Networks, State Associations, Growth
• 27:22 Lead Learner Mindset And PD
• 30:26 MTSS And PBIS As System Drivers
• 33:43 Advice For Aspiring Principals
• 37:46 Why Advocacy And Associations Matter

Transcript

Principal JL: 1:21

Have you ever wondered what it looks like when an elementary principle leads in a way that not only transforms a single building, but also influences an entire region of the country? Today's conversation is kind of spotlight on the kind of thoughtful steady discovery-driven leadership that starts in a school hallway and structured all the way to the national state. My guest today is Dr. Jess Quinter. He is the principal of Park Forest Elementary and the State College School District in Pennsylvania. Dr. Quinter leads more than 80 staff members, and over 400 students. She serves as the district leader in MTS Dest and represents Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey as the NAESP's Zone 2 director of the National Board. He is also a passionate advocate, a dynamic presenter, and something I deeply admire and lifelong learning. Now let's get to the conversation with Dr. Jessica Quinter. Welcome back, everybody, to another exciting episode of the Educational Leadership Podcast. Today I'm excited to bring in Dr. Jessica Quinter. Jessica, welcome to the show.

Dr. Jess Quinter: 2:44

Thanks so much for having me.

Principal JL: 2:46

All right, Jessica. I'm going to ask you the same question I ask everybody on this show. What inspired you to become an educator?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 2:57

So I think that I kind of one of those classic people who always knew that schools were where I wanted to be. Specifically in high school, I had an opportunity. I went to a really small rural school called Meyersdale in Southwestern PA growing up. And in my junior and senior year, I had an opportunity to spend a class period or two each day in the elementary building and was able to help out in first grade with one of one of the teachers and the students there. And I think that really solidified that that was where I wanted to head. Whenever I started my bachelor's degree, my undergrad at Junietta College, the program there in terms of education, really gets students into the classroom right away. So I had a practicum my very first semester of my freshman year. And again, that just really sort of solidified that that was where I wanted to be. So I think that kind of a combination of everything, along with my parents and my family just being really supportive of education and really wanting us to do, my siblings and I to do all that we could to continue learning. I think that I also wanted to be able to be that person for the students with whom I would interact.

Principal JL: 4:05

Awesome. Great. That's awesome. A lot of people come as just a call-in, right? It's just like I've known since this, but for me, it wasn't that way. It took a little bit of time for me to figure out what that was. And it wasn't until like really coaching is when I kind of figured out education was for me. So with that said, you became a teacher. What kind of teacher did you become? What did you teach? What was your experience like as a teacher? And then in those experiences, how has those experiences helped you become the leader you are today?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 4:38

Sure. So my very first year, I had a unique opportunity again at a really small rural school. There were one, maybe two classrooms at each grade level, a K to five building. So in the morning, I had second graders that I did that kind of reading ELA block with. And in the afternoon, I had fifth graders because I released the head teacher and did science and social studies with fifth grade. And then following that, I really kind of found my niche. Kindergarten and first grade were definitely my place. And so I taught for actually nine years before becoming an educational leader, both in kindergarten and first grade, and then also served as the Title I reading specialist for several years. And I think really each of those opportunities allowed me to get to know students at different levels, you know, kind of what students are looking like at that fifth grade point where they're headed into middle school or to junior high or whatever that might look like. And then also for those kindergartners who are really just stepping foot in a school building for the very first time and kind of understanding those nerves and excitement and what all of that looked like too. So I think in terms of how that applies to being an educational leader, is that I have always been a learner. Whenever I think about, you know, kind of doing strengths finders and looking at all of those pieces, I'm like that wholeheartedly is where I am. I'm a learner, I'm a kind of careful thinker about everything. And so I think just really thinking about the kind of teacher that I was, I was really intentional about my words, my actions, my planning, how I was modeling what I wanted to see with my students. And I think as an educational leader, those are definitely qualities that have kind of stuck with me, definitely in terms of as I'm planning and interacting with the grown-ups in the building now.

Principal JL: 6:23

Awesome. Well, that's really exciting. Yeah, you kind of hit on something there where you know you had opportunities as a teacher to be a leader and to kind of work on some of those skills. And a lot of those traits do transition over in to the principalship or administration. So you talked about strength finders, right? So what are your strengths? Can you can you remember them and name them all?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 6:46

I know for sure that that that learner part was in there for sure. Just and and really for me, I think it is a combination of just really thinking about how to build relationships and then to be able to be authentic and honest and open in conversations. So I think that that was another part that had popped up for me within that too, is just kind of that relationship building piece. And and I think what what I really try to do is to be intentional about how I'm responsive and supportive to teachers and to staff members and to students in my building. And very similarly to what that looks like whenever you're differentiating in the classroom, it looks very similar whenever you're interacting with grown-ups in a building too. Some people are kind of ready for certain conversations at certain times or ready to try something new or take a new risk or to think about something in a different way. And so for me, being being kind of that lead learner and that lead teacher in a way within my building is really important for me to model.

Principal JL: 7:47

Awesome, awesome. You've been teaching for a while now. So, what inspires you to become an administrator? What got you going? Was it someone encouraging you? Was it like, you know what, this is my next step, or you know, an edge? Like, what was it that said, you know, it's time to step away from teaching and become an administrator? What was that like for you?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 8:09

So I think similarly to knowing that I always wanted to be a teacher, I kind of also knew that being a building leader was somewhere in my future. I love to see the big picture. I love to maximize the strengths and abilities of the people who are around me. Teachers are phenomenal people who do phenomenal work. And it really is a privilege to be able to support them in that important job that they do every day for sure. And then I think obviously just kind of the as you think about your next steps, you know, in Pennsylvania, you have to accrue so many credits within so many hours after what so many years after you start teaching. And I really wanted, I knew I wanted to do my master's, I knew I wanted to have a different career option within that. So educational administration seemed to be a good fit for that as well as being, you know, an area that I was passionate about. And I had taught for nine years before becoming a principal, and I was still very much in love with teaching. Um, I could have been a teacher a lot longer and it would have been fine with me. And it just really was the right opportunity at the right time with the right leaders who were around me. I was actually in the building where I had been teaching. And so that came with a lot of advantages and a lot of struggles along the way for sure. But it just again just kind of seemed like the right time with the leaders that were around me. It was a good time for me to kind of get get my feet wet in that administrative world and to have some amazing support around me.

Principal JL: 9:39

So you talked about becoming a principal in the building you were teaching. That's not easy to do. Can you tell me some experiences you had with that? Because you go from, hey, I am, you know, a teacher, I'm a colleague with now, I'm your boss. So, what was that transition like? Could you kind of talk about that? What did you learn when you stepped into that administrative role in the school that you were teaching at prior to that? I mean, uh to me, that's fascinating because I I got away from the school I taught at and became a principal. And so I think it would be harder to do it in the school you actually taught in. So, can you kind of talk to us about that?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 10:21

As I had mentioned, there were definitely a lot of advantages and some struggles with that as well. So, advantages being right, I had taught kindergarten, so I learned every single student as soon as they came in the door and just had like that next class to learn every year. So I had been there long enough that I knew our students and our families. Also, I had been my last couple of years, had been a Title I reading teacher. And so that really allowed me the opportunity to work with grade level teachers in terms of supporting students with interventions and kind of broadening that scope a little bit for me, as well as at that point, you know how it goes it in a small rural space. You get a lot, you get to do all of the things. Um, so at that point in time, I was also our federal programs coordinator. So I was able to learn about what that grant process looked like, all of the monitoring, all of the documentation. So there were some pieces of administration that I kind of had the opportunity to kind of develop or experience before stepping, you know, before stepping foot in that office. I think again, I it was really important to me as a teacher that I was modeling my values, that I was, you know, professional, that I was constantly learning, that I was treating others with respect and care. And so I think those skills kind of transitioned well to a new position for sure. And there were, right, there are people that were were friends of mine, like collegial friends, that now all of a sudden I was in this different position. And they were they were all wonderful, like just all really fantastic about like tell us what else you need, tell us how else we can help you. We really don't want to disappoint you, you know, those sorts of things. And then there are there definitely were some steps too that were really tricky in terms of kind of wanting to take some initial changes, some steps for some initial change. That part took a little bit longer. And of course, your first year, you you know, like your first year of teaching, you don't know what you don't know. Um and so it just kind of I think there were there was a little bit of kind of scrutiny in terms of of decisions, and it it just took a little while to figure all of that out, how those relationships shifted a little bit. But again, I had an incredible support staff. My superintendent was amazing. I worked really closely with our high school principal, who still is a really great professional and personal colleague. And so, again, I think I just had that support structure that was really helpful in those first years of learning how to be a principal.

Principal JL: 12:49

Awesome. Well, that's good to hear. You know, it wasn't too bad and had a lot of support, a lot of people there to help you out with that. So that's awesome. So you've been kind of serving as a in a principal leadership role since 2009. And so, what are some stories or experiences you have at the different levels? It looks like you know, you've been building district level, you know, even doing national level things. What are some experiences that you know help grow you as a leader in in your principalship?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 13:21

So at the first school where I was a principal, Juniata Valley, again, we were a pretty small rural school. The benefit of that being that I learned a lot about a lot of different areas. So, you know, it kind of all falls on you to plan professional learning, to adopt new resources, to create the schedule, to do the evaluations, to do the safety plan, you know, all of the things. So I feel like that was an important lesson for me in that I really was able to learn a lot about a lot of different areas of educational leadership for sure. And then in about 200, probably 16, 17, I had kind of been a principal for a while in my former district and was really just looking for some different opportunities to stretch and grow. And that's really whenever I became involved with the Pennsylvania Principals Association. And so I automatically had this larger network of colleagues and friends who were just a great resource to be able to learn from, to be able to ask questions to, to kind of work through problems if they ever came up, someone that wasn't kind of personally attached to your building or district, but had a wider perspective. And so that really for me was really life-changing in terms of being able to grow as a professional and as a person. So one lesson that I definitely have learned has been to be involved and to kind of broaden your perspective from just to the building or the district where you're currently working. I think too, in terms of in terms of thinking about, you know, important lessons that I've learned, certainly, certainly patience, um, certainly the value of establishing relationships and truly listening to people and what is important to them, how they work through change, challenges, you know, progress, what all what all of those pieces are. And really being able to, I found that in a lot of situations, whenever we're trying to move forward in some way, it's really important for me to know where everyone is and then how and when I can take those steps to kind of move forward. And so even in my current building now, there are times where I'll say, because I've heard you say this, this is why we're taking this next step. I've heard you say we need more professional learning and reading, for example. So the next step we're going to do is like this. And so it's been really important to kind of frame that context. And I think too, it's really important for me to be like the lead learner. And this is something actually I talked with our friend and colleague Tony Katani about as well. It's important for me to participate in that professional learning. There are opportunities provided in our district now, letters training, literacy training being one of them. And I've participated in that with our teachers. I had done it back when I was a Title I teacher, you know, 16 years ago. Um, but then also right now, it's important for me to be fresh with that. So I dive in. It's important for me to learn with teachers. Just today, I helped to do some of our benchmark testing. It's important for me to like to be a part of that, both with students and to show teachers that I I love that role. I love what we do and I find it to be really important. And I think one of the most important things that all leaders can do is just to be vulnerable. And so, whenever I transitioned to my new district, I had the opportunity to meet our staff. I said, these are all of my experiences, and I know that this is a very different district and a very different building. And so what I have done before might not work here. Like I will try my hardest to provide context. I hope that you will find me to be kind in my interactions, and I'm going to make some mistakes. So I'm just kind of being vulnerable about what that looks like and being willing to accept it and move forward, I think is another important lesson that goes a long way with the people with whom you work.

Principal JL: 17:14

Yeah, you made a lot of great points there. Uh, you talked about letters training at the secondary level. We have a spire training. And so we got this big grant money because in Nebraska, it is we're gonna get better at reading. So it's like a state initiative, like it's a state law. Now it's federal, it's been legislated. And so we got this grant money. So I'm actually doing the uh Lexia Spire training with my team. So I have an understanding of what they're doing, but also gives me some idea, you know, gives me an understanding of what I'll need to be looking for down the road because we'll have to go in and do fidelity checks and things like that down the road when it gets going. So now we have that going on too. So I can I can, you know, right there with you when you do some of the training with your teachers as well. So I really appreciate you mentioning that as well. You've done a lot of leadership like teams surrounding like MTSS and instruction. How has that approach shaped you as a as a building principal?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 18:17

A lot of that, again, honestly, just really thinking about my my experience as a as a teacher and being at like that kindergarten first grade grade level, a lot of those pieces really come into place. And then as well with my experience in terms of being a Title I reading teacher, we were doing a lot of those kind of MTSS sorts of pieces in terms of thinking about using data for instruction and identifying interventions and what does instruction look like, tier one, two, and three. And then also really looking at launching our PBIS program, both in my former building and in my current building. So, what do those supports look like for social emotional learning and behavior for students as well? And I think right now we're doing a lot of work with a district level team in our district. I'm working kind of co-leading that with another principal and a school psychologist, and really just thinking about you know, consistency from building to building across our district. We have eight elementaries within our district and ensuring that we're using similar processes and just ensuring that students who need that additional support are able to get it or need kind of that stretch are accessing that as well. And so, really, I think it comes down to like consistency and equity, making sure that that all kids everywhere are getting that instruction that is really tailored to their need. And again, just kind of you know, similar to being involved at the state level or the national level, just really having a broader understanding of how systems can work and improve a building, instruction and achievement within a building, I think obviously just kind of naturally relates to what we do in a building day-to-day.

Principal JL: 19:57

Awesome. So you've been kind of a principal for a while. We have a lot of people that will listen to this episode, and we have a lot of people out there that are aspiring administrators. So, what advice would you give someone that's thinking about taking that next step and becoming a principal? It could be assistant principal or even maybe a lead in some sort of capacity in the educational leadership. What advice would you give them?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 20:23

I think that one piece of advice would be whenever the right opportunity presents itself to really just take advantage of it. You know, like like you're never gonna fully be ready or feel like you're fully ready. Um, so it just has to kind of be like whenever that opportunity is right to really jump in and take advantage of that. And I think really a lot of it comes in terms of, right? Like you have all of your coursework and you start to learn. But I would also give people the advice of continuing to learn or to get involved in whatever way that is. So whether it's committee work within your building or an opportunity to serve on a leadership team or a strategic planning team, an MTSS team, whatever that might look like, to really just start to gain information and not necessarily in terms of just specifically the system, but watching truly how are the leaders leading this? How are the people who are participating responding? What are the opportunities for collaboration and really being reflective about? How do I want to do this whenever I am, you know, whenever I am a building leader, whenever I have the opportunity to lead. So I think that that definitely is one piece. And then as well as just really knowing, knowing yourself, like knowing what your non-negotiables are, knowing who you want to be as a leader. And that takes a lot of self-reflection. And it obviously, you know, kind of changes throughout time too. So, you know, to be completely honest, I had been a principal in my former district for 12 years. Again, I had taught there. I knew the community. I knew the school. I knew the kids. I knew the families. I, you know, had a had a long history there and had had 12 years of experience as a principal. And when I came to my new district, I felt like I was brand new all over again. And so it really took, you know, kind of like, okay, I need to use all of these things that I know and come back and figure out like how am I going to approach it this time. And it was a brand new big challenge. And this is year five in that building, and it feels great now. Um, but it just really took, you know, it there, there's always something new and changing that is going to happen. And the reality is that we need great leaders. We need great people to do the good work of being building leaders and leaders within within our schools. So I think that if there is, you know, if there's someone who is thinking about becoming a principal to really again kind of reach out, right? There are so many opportunities from, you know, people like you, people like Tony, people like Laura, Laura Tobias, who also works in my district. So there are so many people who have done this job and have had a variety of experiences. And so just kind of taking advantage of their experience and kind of picking their brains, asking the hard questions and then using that too as well to kind of frame who you want to be as a leader.

Principal JL: 23:27

Yeah, I kind of said a couple of things that are really important. You know, continue to learn, be reflective, but find somebody to maybe help you mentor you or something to where you can pick their brain and try to figure out, like, you know, you know, how to do the job. Because I know when I got stepped into the role, I didn't have a lot of people to communicate with besides the administrators in my district. And I was at a small rural school for four years before coming to the bigger district that I'm in now. But it is nice to network and get out and get to know other administrators because they understand what you're going through and don't put yourself in a silo. So I really appreciate you sharing that. So, Jess, you know, what gets you excited about the future of education?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 24:17

I think what really gets me excited is just really thinking about how what we know in terms of the field of education, in terms of research, leadership development, culture, all of those pieces, how we're, you know, and and that information is so is is is much more readily available, you know, through podcasts and social media. Like it's just all right there, ready for us to soak in. And so I think one of the things that really excites me is that there is so much information and it's readily accessible, and how I'm really seeing teachers and leaders just being hungry for that. And so just how can I learn more? How can I apply it to my classroom? And and that part of the continual improvement is really exciting for me.

Principal JL: 25:11

Awesome. Well, thank you for sharing that. I mean, you're right. I mean, with the the way education is, there's more resources available, and like Josh Tavaro will say, podcasts are free PD. So there's a lot of great podcasts out there to listen to and really get a lot of knowledge from different people. And so I appreciate you sharing that. So you are currently serving as the NAESP Zone 2 director and advocate at the national level. Why is leadership advocacy and professional in the professional organization involvement so important to school leaders?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 25:51

So this is the third year of my term serving on the NAESP board. And as zone two director, I represent the principals and school leaders within Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, which is one of our larger regions. And really, the goal of that association, the mission of that association is to provide professional learning and to support elementary and middle level leaders and to advocate as well. Advocacy is part of that. And I think that that what makes that important is that the advocacy part for sure is that our our legislators and those who are serving both in Washington, D.C. and within our states need to hear the story. They need to know what we're doing on a day-to-day basis and the challenges that we face, right? So I always think about our association as an AESP, just really thinking about, you know, how can we, what, what's going well for school leaders, what are some challenges that they have, and how can we help fill that gap? How can we help meet that need for them? And so, really, whenever I think about that advocacy piece, I really think about how it's important to tell a personal story for your school, but it's also important to really think about all of the students within our entire nation. And how are we advocating for what they need in terms of being able to learn and grow and to be good citizens and you know to be the next leaders really of our country and our communities. And I think in terms of the professional association, obviously, there's that professional learning part, both kind of the formal and the informal part of it. So obviously, there are lots of opportunities with you know our national conferences in the summer. There are communities that practice one of those that I'm involved in is specifically connected to women in leadership. And so the conversations that we have look a little bit different with that group. And we have some other groups as well that work through that community of practice kind of facet of NAESP. And so they're there are kind of those formal opportunities, and then there are certainly kind of those just natural informal networking opportunities, too, that really I think are so valuable in terms of helping us, helping us as leaders, being able to both manage the stresses and the demands of the position and to be able to continue to grow. And so for me, similarly to whenever I became involved in our state, being involved in the National Elementary School Principals Association really has just broadened that, broadened that network, broadened honestly, like my principal family of people that literally live all over our country who are doing the good work in a school of you know 90 kids to a school of 900 plus kids and what that looks like. And so it's it's amazing to have that opportunity. It's so inspiring. I'm sure you found that whenever you were in Seattle too. Like you just get that taste of other principles who are doing amazing things. And and for me, like I I just I want more and I want to be able to elevate those voices as well for the people who are who are doing the really important work of educating our kids.

Principal JL: 29:04

Yeah, I think you uh you knocked that question out of the park there. So great job on that. I'm really getting into more of the educational advocacy side of things. Um, within my state of Nebraska, I actually took an educational advocacy workshop with our Nebraska Council of School Administrators. They're kind of like the big umbrella with all our NAESP and then our N SAAP or N-A-N-S-A-S-S-P. So we are less that they're the umbrella for all our associations in Nebraska. So I actually, you know, the episode, you know, there's an episode 57 that's you know, out that you know, that you can go listen to. We'll talk about state legislation and that. So it is it's really important to kind of get people to know we got to tell our stories as principals because if the state legislators don't hear from you, they're just gonna make up whatever story they have because of the information they have. And so I think that's really important that we let people know this law is good and this is why, or this law would be not so good and this is why. And I think that's really important to speak up and be able to have those connections with your local and state legislators, so you know, you know, you can communicate with them and they understand what's really going on, and they're now just listening to you know, other people that think they know what's going on. So I think that's really important. I and you know, you can get that at the national level as well. So I really appreciate you sharing that.

Dr. Jess Quinter: 30:37

Yeah. So sorry, I was gonna say two other points of that. Within within Pennsylvania, we kind of have a, I guess, a small committee, I don't know what we what you would call it, a small group of principals and members within our Pennsylvania Principals Association who are kind of on on call whenever there's something new that comes up in terms of legislation. The executive director will send something out and just say, hey, here's what's being proposed. How do you feel about this? We're working on drafting our response. And so that's one way that I've been able to be involved kind of at our state level. And then both the importance of not only going to you know the Capitol to share your story, but then also the importance of inviting legislators to come to school to see what it is that you're doing. So currently in the process of inviting one of ours to come to our school for the week that we have, what's called the Mobile Ag Lab here in Pennsylvania. And it's so really just having the opportunity again for them to see firsthand the work that we do.

Principal JL: 31:35

Jess, this has been a great conversation. I've really enjoyed get to pick your brain and learn from you and about your journey and the things you've learned. So, what's next for you? Like you got all these things going on, you know, you got some personal goals, some professional goals. What what do you see yourself down the road doing? Because I know you're what 28 years in right now, and probably got a few more years to go, yeah. But what are you thinking about for your future?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 32:02

Yeah, so this is year, this is year 26 right now. I certainly, this is the fifth year in my building. And prior to me coming to the building, there was a lot of administrative turnover. And I think that potentially is part of kind of why certain pieces took a little bit longer in the building just for um teachers to establish trust. And I think that like right now I'm really loving where I am. I, you know, I really love the building. I really love the teachers that I work with. I know that you had talked about some when I had recently listened to an episode, you had talked a lot about like maintaining staff and being able to keep people kind of like on board with you. And I think is again one of those kind of informal assessments. You know, every year there are positions in our district and teachers are choosing to stay in our building. And so I feel like that's an indicator that we're doing some good work and still have some, you know, some ways to go. But certainly I'm loving that part right now. I had through all of my graduate work, had also finished my certificate for um superintendency or executive director of an intermediate unit that we have here at Pennsylvania. And and I'm just not really ready to be any further away from kids right now. I love I love that part of it for sure. And and we're and we're we're liking where we are. My husband's also an education, an educator. He teaches seventh grade science. So every day's a science lesson in our house. But he, you know, is is a phenomenal educator too. So we're pretty excited about where we are now. But I think, you know, just thinking about kind of personally as well, one of the one of the things that we really love to do is is to travel and to interact with people literally everywhere. So last year when we were in Seattle, we took a huge road trip on the way back through Canada. We spent about three weeks with our rooftop tent and our Jeep coming back across. So we always have an adventure like that planned. Someone at one point in time, early in my career, has said one of the best things that we can do as educators is to lead interesting lives so that we have we have a lot of background knowledge to be able to bring to our profession. And and so that that's definitely a focus for us as well.

Principal JL: 34:22

Awesome. Well, that's cool. Going out backpacking and you have truck tent, is that what it was? Like a Papa back of the truck tent. Oh, that's cool.

Dr. Jess Quinter: 34:31

Top of our jeans, yeah.

Principal JL: 34:33

I've seen those, yeah.

Dr. Jess Quinter: 34:35

It was pretty comfortable. It absolutely was, yes.

Principal JL: 34:38

Oh, great, yeah. I've seen them. I have a camper, we go camping and boating a lot, and so we try to get out and and and do those things in the summer when we have the time. So, yeah, you're kind of talking my language there, camping and having some fun, get out in nature there.

Dr. Jess Quinter: 34:54

It's so a lot to be said about the power of nature.

Principal JL: 34:57

You bet. And so we have people listening, and maybe they want to reach out and connect with you and learn more about the work you're doing there. And so, how could people connect with you?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 35:08

Sure. One of the easiest ways is that I'm on LinkedIn just under Jeff Squinter. And then also you can include my email within the notes as well. It's J L Q, the number 11 at sd.org. School emails always are a little bit funny, right? But email is another way um to get a hold of me. And that also is on the NAESP website, since I'm currently on there as the board of directors. So that link is right there for everyone to contact me as well.

Principal JL: 35:38

Awesome. And so, what I'll do is I'll put that down in the show notes so people can easily connect with you if they want to learn more about the awesome things that you're doing. And so, Jess, this has been an awesome, you know, episode. I really appreciate having you on. Is there anything you'd like to say before we go?

Dr. Jess Quinter: 35:54

I think just, you know, I have never once doubted that education is is the place for for me. It is, I think, an incredibly rewarding profession. It's incredibly fulfilling, challenging, right? Keeps you on your toes all of the time. And I think that that I would just say thank you to all of those who have chosen to serve students within our schools and those who have taken on that additional challenge then of being school leaders. Certainly I value all that you do, and I'm really grateful for that work.

Principal JL: 36:29

Awesome, Jess. Thanks for the awesome message today, and I appreciate all you do as well. And so without further ado, I'll see you later.

Dr. Jess Quinter: 36:38

All right, and thank you so much.

Principal JL: 36:40

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Dr. Jess Quinter. If today's conversation resonated with you, I would encourage you to share this episode with another leader, an inspired administrator, or a teacher who is thinking about the next step of their journey. Until next time, before this and one percent better.