Collaboration is a fundamental element of successful leadership, whether it’s with your school community or with other leaders. For this principal, her network is her anchor.
Raquel Martinez grew up working in the fields with her parents who were field migrant workers. They instilled in her at an early age the importance of education, supported by hard work and servant leadership. Those qualities would later surface in her role in education leadership.
Martinez is the planning principal of Sageview High School, which will welcome its first students in the fall of 2025. She’s also been recently appointed as the board president for the National Association for Secondary School Principals, an organization she says has been instrumental in her leadership journey.
“You’re very limited on who you can share experiences with outside of your building,” says Martinez. “For me, the NASSP has helped me understand that I’m not by myself. I have others that I can lean on who have faced similar challenges.”
This idea of collaboration is not only evident through her work with the NASSP but also as a building principal. Sageview High School, which is part of the Pasco School District in Washington, isn’t the only new school being built in her area, so, she’s made it a personal goal to collaborate with other principal colleagues with the understanding that no one should work in isolation.
“It’s a collaborative that we all have a voice and we can help shape the direction of our systems,” she says. This translates to her communication with her students and staff as well, empowering teachers to build strong relationships with their students.
Martinez says it’s easy for principals to get caught in the “whirlwind” of complexities that occur in their schools. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get out of.
“We don’t get to experience and lean on each other for support and expertise,” she says. “As part of the NASSP, we offer a lot of networks so our principals can engage with others across the country.”
She also made history by becoming the NASSP’s first Latina president. It’s something others have encouraged her to embrace.
“It wasn’t until someone tapped me and said, ‘Hey, you need to lean into this,'” she says. “The longer you wait, the longer others don’t get to see themselves in leadership that way.”
She says she struggles with imposter syndrome, often doubting herself and why she’s been placed in such a high-profile leadership position. But when other Latina women thank her for her work and commitment to education, it’s a reminder of why she entered the profession in the first place: hard work and servant leadership.
“It’s an avenue where others can see themselves in this leadership role, and hopefully it’ll empower them to elevate their voices in their communities with their students as well.”
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