Check Out Kelley King’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley King.

Hi Kelley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Helping others was always what I wanted to do throughout my career, so early on I weighed both social work and teaching. Teaching runs in my family and perhaps that influenced me in that direction. But I wanted an extra challenge in my work so I chose to teach children who have barriers to learning. For several years, I taught children with a variety of significant learning issues – hearing impairment, visual impairment, learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disabilities. I started to take on leadership roles almost immediately and I embarked on a school leadership program. It was then that I came to fully appreciate the role of the school principal as complex, dynamic and incredibly rewarding. I served for many years as a school principal in Boulder, Colorado, before my family moved to San Diego in 2011.

In the years preceding my arrival at San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) in 2014, I wrote three books in education about brain-based strategies for teaching boys and girls. My third book focuses on boys and ways to increase their engagement and achievement. I traveled as an author to consult with schools around the world. It was incredible to work with teachers and to experience what education is like in Iceland, Singapore, Jamaica and everywhere in between. But after about seven years of being on the road, I missed being a part of a team and part of a school family. I joined SDJA as the Head of the Lower School. Having worked in public schools my entire career and not being Jewish, SDJA provided me with an exciting new learning curve. I have been able to bring together my 30+ years of experiences to a school with such a dedicated faculty, resources and flexibility to really dream big and make it happen for the children. I have immensely enjoyed learning about the Jewish religion, customs and traditions. And I have picked up a few Hebrew words and phrases along the way, much to the delight of coworkers and students! My husband is a retired school administrator having served as a superintendent in both Colorado and California. Our two children – a boy and a girl – are in their mid-20s and making their own ways in the world, one in San Diego and the other in Nashville. I am currently working on my doctorate in educational leadership and I hope that going back to school in my 50s will encourage others to keep learning at all ages.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Overall, I feel incredibly blessed by the good fortune I have experienced in my life and in my career. But I have had a few obstacles and challenges that have molded and informed me. In 1995, as a young mom to a toddler and with my second child on the way, I took a part-time private sector position that allowed me to work from home. When I went to the week of training, my new boss remarked that he didn’t realize I was pregnant and he fired me at the end of the week. In the late 90s, after interviewing for an assistant principalship at a middle school, I was coached to not wear makeup and to dye my hair brown so that I would look more plain. Today, I am writing my doctoral dissertation on the under-representation of women in education’s equivalent of the CEO position. The teaching force is 75% female while the headship is 75% male and we need to understand more about this. It’s my goal to help address bias and barriers for women in their career advancement. As a school principal, it has been very important to me to create an atmosphere of inclusivity for all children and their families, including non-traditional families. I have been challenged on this a few times over the years, most notably in the early 2000’s.

One of the proudest moments in my career was receiving an award as an ally for oppressed groups. I will continue to do whatever I can to support kindness and inclusion by modeling it for our children, who are our next generation of leaders. Finally, COVID has created challenges that are completely unprecedented and this has tested our mettle. Almost overnight, educators everywhere have been confronted with making decisions with incomplete information and without a roadmap. I have struggled many times over the last several months with not knowing what to do and having no idea where to start. That’s a pretty uncomfortable feeling when you are responsible for the care and well-being of so many other people. Day-by-day, however, in partnership with my assistant principal, the teacher team and other senior leaders, we have designed solutions, adapted to ever-changing scenarios, and have remained child-centered and nimble. I’m incredibly proud of the fact that SDJA is one of a minority of private schools in California that has its campus open full-time for students.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I wear two hats at SDJA. I am the Head of Lower School which means I am the K-5 principal. This position allows me to work directly with children, parents and teachers on a day-to-day basis. My job is to lead the lower school to increase human effectiveness, to nurture talent, to build a sense of efficacy, and to create an environment where children flourish and where educators are professionalized, trusted, supported, and continuously engaged in growth. I am also the Associate Head of School for Teaching and Learning. This position allows me to support the alignment of the educational program school-wide in the areas of curriculum and professional development and to assist the Head of School. In my roles, I get to be a part of the school’s eight-member senior leadership team. This incredibly dedicated and intelligent group of professionals innovates and strategizes on topics that affect the future of our school for many years to come. That work feels so very important, especially now during these challenging times.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The American philosopher and psychologist William James once wrote: “The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” I have had the great honor of spending the last 35 years nurturing and molding children, educators, families and educational systems. The children I taught as a first year teacher are now in their 40s, and it is incredibly humbling to know that I have had a role in so many people’s lives over the years. I am not a religious person, but my sense of spirituality gives me the assurance that I am doing work that is bigger than myself. I didn’t realize how important this would be to me back when I was choosing my career. My advice to a young person is to find outlets in your life, either vocationally or a vocationally, that increase the well-being of humankind and of the planet. In the Jewish tradition, this is called “tikkun olam” – repairing the world. I love being immersed in a school that truly embraces and holds high the ideal of making the world a better place.

Contact Info:

• Email: kking@sdja.com
• Website: www.sdja.com

Image Credits
Liat Feco