At the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, a search for a new assistant principal began when Ms. Sullivan returned to the classroom to teach physical education and health. Ms. Louko, who had been teaching in the English Department at the high school for ten years, was hired. She then made the transition out of the classroom at the start of October.

Ms. Louko is always up for a new challenge and a job in administration seemed like the next logical step for her, as she had served many roles as a teacher including class adviser, global travel coordinator, and a member of the school council. A job in administration still incorporates all of the different aspects involved in these jobs as it allows her to “get into classrooms, work with students in different extracurricular areas, and work within the district on behalf of the students as well.”

After one month of adjusting to the new school and new students, Ms. Louko assumed her new position as assistant principal. It was a bittersweet moment for her, as she was moving on to a new challenge, but she still felt sad that she wouldn’t get to share the teacher-student bond with the students on her rosters this year. However, she is working in the same building and still gets to interact with the students she has already formed bonds with.

Although it was hard to leave the classroom, it is advantageous that Ms. Louko has been working in the district for so long and she said “knowing some of Abington High’s history having been here for ten years and being familiar with the community and the school’s values helps in the work that moves our school forward.” Ms. Louko has a great sense for who the students at Abington High are and the goals and needs they have for the school.

After about three months out of the classroom, Ms. Louko has already had the chance to get back into the classroom. Ms. Louko, alongside Dr. Sullivan, are teaching a pilot course on social justice. The course’s goal is to test the effects of 1 to 1 devices on students’ performance in school. Allowing each student to have their own laptop each school year is something Abington High is considering in the future. Ms. Louko is using her foundation in teaching to help advocate for change in the school.

Ms. Louko is really enjoying her new role as it allows her to work alongside other teachers and see them in their own classroom. As a teacher, she felt isolated from other teachers as she was more confined to one classroom and couldn’t see other teachers working as much.

Ms. Louko has also been enjoying her ability to collaborate with students to “make their ideas reality, like the new “cafe style” high tops outside the library, the library Spin bikes, the new NHS privileges, and a few other ideas that are already in the works.”

The variety Ms. Louko experiences when it comes to her daily schedule has been a great new aspect of her role in the school. Her new schedule has a faster pace and always keeps her on the move. Between meetings she loves to “visit the Green Wave Cafe to see students working together, check in on what’s going on in the library, and pop in and out of classrooms.”

Ms. Louko has found the biggest challenge as assistant principal to be that she can’t make everyone happy with the choices she has to make. However, she gets through this because she realizes she must stick to her moral compass and make a decision that would benefit the most students. Ms. Louko says she always reminds herself, “as long as I am being reasonable, responsible, and ethical, that’s the best thing I can do for the students in Abington.”

As for some advice for student’s later in life and for those who aren’t sure of their career path just yet, Ms. Louko recommends the words of Walt Disney, “progress is impossible without change.” She encourages students to explore new career paths at any point because “a little change of scenery keeps life interesting.”

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