Gillian Smith, Facing History School Principal

Gillian Smith is one of those educators whose enthusiasm iscontagious and whose energy seems boundless. Good thing, because as theheadmaster of the Facing History School, Smith is at the helm of an exciting andchallenging endeavor-providing an in-depth Facing History experience over four years to every student.

When she was in high school, Smith says she struggled enoughto know how students feel when they're not learning and how it impacts them. Shehad a different experience at an alternative school, Satellite Academy, whereshe graduated and then became a teacher's aid, teacher and then assistantprincipal. This opened her imagination to new possibilities to engage studentsin their own education, and she has brought this vision to the Facing Historyschool.

Smith believes her dual role as teacher and administratorallows her to maximize her impact. "Being an administrator . . .gave me the leverage in what happens inthe classroom, meaning that if things happen right in administration, teachers can teach."

Smith says the ultimate goal for the students is to not onlyto make sure they are well-educated but to become engaged in their communitiesboth locally and globally.

"Our job is not only to give students this richacademic foundation, but also to encourage them to do something good with whatthey've learned."