“I realized that my incessant meddling up front was actually hindering my administrative staff’s ability to do their jobs. Instead, I needed to be in classrooms, attuning to the heartbeat and rhythms of our school, and charting a way out of our collective malaise.”

Grant Althouse is Principal of Adaline E. Kent Middle School (KMS), a grades 5-8 middle school located in Marin County, California. KMS serves approximately 513 students and consistently ranks among the top 10% of middle schools in California. Known for its rich arts, coding, woodshop, performing arts, and enrichment programs, KMS emphasizes strong academic support, active parent engagement, and a safe, inclusive learning environment.

CHALLENGE:  Behavior, Burnout and Falling Behind

In 2021 Kent Middle School faced multiple challenges simultaneously. Situated in an affluent San Francisco Bay suburb with relatively high-performing students, the school, like many others, struggled with post-pandemic learning loss. In 2022 only 62% of its students were performing on grade level in math and 70% in ELA. 

At the same time, incidents of student discipline exploded as children returned to classrooms lacking basic socialization skills. “I spent all hours of the day in my office, every day, processing referrals, scheduling disciplinary conversations and running investigations,” said Grant. “In any given week I hardly made it out to classrooms to observe and coach teachers.” 

The chaotic pace, combined with the general lack of community support for educators at the time, left Grant’s teachers demoralized. By June 2022, 36% of the pre-pandemic teaching staff retired and/or notified Grant they were pursuing other professional opportunities. 

“Before the pandemic, we were poised to upend our traditional grading system and implement an innovative, standards-based, feedback process for our students. But with the outsized effort it was taking to hold the school together, I chose to shelve this initiative. We just couldn’t muster the energy and focus it would take to move it forward.” said Grant.

Grant also confessed, “As someone who had been committed to public education for 20 years, I didn’t recognize the profession anymore. I strongly considered leaving too. It was an incredibly confusing time for me and I lacked optimism for the future.”

MINDSET SHIFT: Get Out of the Way and Get Into Classrooms

Grant’s unease prompted him to attend The Breakthrough Coach’s school leadership training in February 2023. “I walked into the program having convinced myself that I needed to be totally hands-on in the front office, constantly clearing obstacles for my teachers. However, I quickly realized that my incessant meddling up front was actually hindering my administrative staff’s ability to do their jobs. Instead, I needed to be in classrooms, attuning to the heartbeat and rhythms of our school, and charting a way out of our collective malaise.”

SOLUTION: Proper Role Play

Grant and his secretary, Jeanne, returned from Phase 1 of The Breakthrough Coach Program and immediately began implementing several Fundamental Practices™ designed to free Grant up from the front office and position him in classrooms. 

• Together, they cleaned out Grant’s office and converted it into a quiet, distraction-free, conference room. 
• They started meeting everyday to talk through Grant’s strategic priorities and timelines so that Jeanne could proactively take administrative work off Grant’s plate.
• Jeanne took over managing Grant’s calendar and began determining who met with him, for how long, and for what purpose. 
• Jeanne set aside two full days every week for Grant to solely observe classrooms.
• Grant and Jeanne made their central office team aware of Grant’s classroom observation schedule and requested that they avoid creating schedule conflicts between central office meetings and Grant’s instructional leadership time. 

RESULTS: Student Success and Staff Satisfaction

Grant’s regular appearance in the school environment immediately impacted student behavior – discipline referrals plummeted. “By limiting the number of distractions in my office and empowering Jeanne to manage me, I quickly found I was out in classrooms all day long,” recalled Grant. “Students would tell me ‘It’s like you appear out of thin air,’ to which I would respond, ‘I do. Expect to see me at any time. I’m always watching.’” 

Grant added, “My student interactions became much more dynamic and fluid. If a student’s name came up on a discipline-related issue, I would connect with them in their classroom and initiate a proactive conversation before they ended up in my office. By consciously doing this, my days were no longer derailed by discipline.”

Grant and Jeanne persisted in their Breakthrough Coach practices and as a result:

• Grant now spends two full days every week in classrooms;
• He has reduced his average workweek by 20 hours;
• 82-87% of KMS students are now meeting grade level standards in mathematics and ELA;
• On a 2025 YouthTruth survey of staff perceptions about KMS, 100% of teachers reported that their work contributed to the school’s goals, and 87% reported that administrator’s coaching and feedback helped them improve;
• In 2025, KMS was named a California School to Watch;
• Grant is exercising regularly, taking care of himself, and spending quality time with his family.

CONCLUSION:

Grant credits The Breakthrough Coach’s school leadership training for having a transformative effect on him and KMS. He admitted, “I don’t know if I’d still be in education right now if I hadn’t pursued it. It gave me the space to envision other ways in which our school community could thrive. It opened up a whole host of creative possibilities that never occurred to me when I was buried in my office.” By embracing The Breakthrough Coach’s Fundamental Practices™, he reclaimed time to focus on what matters most: teaching, learning, and relationships. The transformation at Kent Middle School stands as a testament to what’s possible when a leader prioritizes purpose over busyness.