Principal Burden fosters a culture of caring and non-negotiables through a blend of personal philosophy, daily routines and structured leadership frameworks. At the heart of his approach is a commitment to seeing the school as a “microcosm” of the world we want to live in.
The “I Love You” Non-Negotiable
The primary non-negotiable Principal Burden has established is a standard of unconditional care. Every morning, he greets both students and staff with the phrase: “I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it”.
- Purpose: This serves to signal that while there will be ups, downs and differences of opinion, the underlying care for one another remains constant.
- Adolescent Development: He applies this specifically to students, noting that he expects them to make “bad decisions” as adolescents. His non-negotiable role—and that of his staff—is to care about those students regardless and direct them toward the right path.
The “Keep Pointing Positive” Framework
Burden adopts a model learned from a former mentor, Steve Hawley, which uses white-water rafting as an analogy for navigating school culture. This framework emphasizes four life lessons:
- You will exit the raft: Everyone will face hard times.
- Never let go of your paddle: Stay connected to support systems like family, friends, and the school community.
- Be an active participant in your own rescue: Individuals must take an active role in overcoming challenges.
- Keep pointing positive: Regardless of the situation, the goal is to stay on a positive path toward the best outcomes.
Fostering a “Culture of Presence”
Principal Burden believes that care is fostered by being visible and relatable rather than acting as a “wizard behind the curtain”.
- Visibility: He tasks his administrative team with being in the hallways and classrooms to build genuine relationships.
- Community Engagement: He demonstrates care by attending a wide variety of student events—from football games and plays to robotics competitions on weekends—to celebrate student success.
- All Means All: He uses the mantra “All has to mean all” to ensure that high-quality instruction and care are not reserved for high-achieving students alone. For instance, he encourages placing “best teachers” in intervention classes rather than just AP courses to ensure every student receives a “world-class education.” He leads through a lens of equity.
Student Voice and Professional Respect
Care is also expressed through how Burden handles student and staff input:
- Influential Student Voice: He ensures student voice influences major decisions, such as building design for bond work, and he begins every staff meeting with student voices (clubs or organizations) to keep students “front of mind.”
- Staff Professionalism: While he prioritizes students, he fosters a culture of care with staff by treating them as mature professionals and providing them with collaborative time (PLCs) to focus on student-centered instructional needs.