Kyle Freeman, Orcas Elementary Principal, Inspired to Participate in Solutions

Kyle Freeman, Orcas Island's new K-8 Principal

In his Principal’s office, Kyle Freeman has prominently displayed a wall-sized poster of President John Kennedy and his words, “It’s time for a new generation of leaders, for there is a new world to be won.”

And just outside his office door is that world – Orcas Island K-8 classrooms. Freeman is the new Elementary/Middle School Principal, and he is fired up and ready to go. He finds inspiration from the 2008 Presidential election, saying, “Last year was really exciting to watch a new generation taking over.

“It’s parallel to my own philosophy – the idea you can affect your community. Starting small will radiate out. You don’t have to change the whole world to change the world.”

That, and Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” inspired Freeman to seek a profession in teaching, rather than in law. “I wanted to be part of making that change, and giving back,” he said. “Being a laywer might have brought me a comfortable lifestyle, but my ideals can be realized in education.”

Rooted in the Northwest (Freeman’s family has lived on Bainbridge Island for 5 generations), he has seen that community grow to 24,000 people while striving to maintain its core values and ideals. “Things do change, and I wanted to be in a small island community,” he said. He calls himself “a student of the San Juans” and was excited to see the posting for the position here, following former Principal Tom Gobeske’s resignation last summer.

Kyle’s teaching and administrative experience is extensive.  Some highlights include

• being a mentor teacher,
• teaching social studies and language arts at the middle school level,
• teaching high school American history and AP Government and American history.

Outside of the classroom, Kyle has been

• an ASB advisor,
• an Assistant Football Coach, and
• vice-president of the Bainbridge Island Education Association.

Kyle’s administrative background includes:

• budget development,
• formation of an RTI (Response to Intervention) model,
• curriculum review and development,
• administrative representation in special education meetings, and
• serving as the substitute Principal at Woodward Middle school.

Freeman received his Principal Certification from Seattle Pacific University, after an internship at the Bainbridge Island School District, where he worked at several schools from the elementary to the high school level.

He feels particularly suited to the role of principal because he gravitates to leadership and decision-making. As a teacher and a principal-intern, he served on various school committees, and “relished the opportunity. I don’t believe we should expect other people to make changes we think should happen.

“I’ve become a principal and administrator because that’s where I think I can be most effective – for the kids, for the teachers and for the community.”

On a district level, he feels his efforts will “mirror the high achievement and expectations of excellence” that characterize the Orcas School District. “I’ll work hard to match that.

“Small schools always face how to balance student development with the number of teachers in an affordable budget,” Freeman says. He hopes to work to raise state awareness of the challenges faced by small schools.

“People in this community are willing to give – it’s part of what makes the school successful. The community has always supported the school.”

Freeman’s goals for the first year are to spend time “seeing teachers teach” and to focus on the positives, “Obviously the school and district are doing pretty great stuff,” he says.

He hopes to bring “recharging opportunities” to veteran teachers and to review the curriculum of each class through the years, “so that there’s a continnum of learning. That’s an exciting piece of this.”

Last year, the Elementary/Middle School Principal’s position was expanded to include administration of  Transportation and Food Services. Freeman says, “I have the understanding that this is a 24/7 job, and I’m excited about the opportunity to do all these things.

His hobbies include fishing and cooking  — “that’s my therapeutic, reflective pastime.” His reading loves are individual historical accounts and travel books.Freeman found life on Bainbridge Island “very comfortable, offering a sense of belonging and connectedness. The idea of leaving that is a challenge.”

Nevertheless, in “looking at a place that’s willing to draw me,” he brought his family – wife Kim and sons Jefferson, 4, and Kristian, 2, and found the community, the school and the district “focused on the things I believe in – the success of kids and of families.”

He plans to stay on Orcas “a long time” and raise his children here. As Freeman looks to his first year with the Orcas Island School District his goal is to, “spend time working with our staff to reflect appreciatively on what our schools do well so we can build a plan for where we want to go in the future.”