Careers

Valor has an interconnected set of supports that have helped me to feel like I can stay in the classroom: an actionable commitment to equity, relationship-based coaching, organization-wide responsiveness to feedback, dedication to teacher sustainability, and a competitive payscale for living in Nashville. In the past four years, I have received the best professional development in our training to teach the math curriculum, focusing on student-led development of key concepts through novel problem-solving and discourse. My instructional coaches have been incredibly supportive, giving me bite-sized feedback to execute our vision for the curriculum, trusting my experience and expertise to innovate in lesson-planning, and helping me guard my personal and family time when the work of teaching feels overwhelming.

Teaching is a hard job – we are shaping the minds of the future. As such, expectations are high for our teachers. We work hard, but we also work as a team. There are countless layers of support that help all of us succeed. We have teams that help us refine our curriculum, and coaches that help refine our teaching skills. We are on grade-level teams that align on our grade expectations and culture, and provide support in how to address the needs of each student in our grade. Additionally, we do a lot as a staff to connect with one another as a community. I have never worked somewhere that cares as much for one another as Valor does. You will never find a better community or work environment.

I moved to Nashville after being in education for 6 years. I was leaving a job as a dean of students, and wanted to make sure that before moving into leadership at Valor that I had experience in a Valor classroom. After those first two years, I started thinking about getting back into school leadership and overall was unsure because I thought it would take me away from the students. My coach at the time was very affirming and told me “Natalie, I know you and you will always find time for kids”. Because of that comment I was inspired to revamp our scholar advisory council and put my work with students more at the forefront. I have tried my best to always find my way back to hearing directly from students and making sure that I am taking their questions, concerns, and comments back to the leaders. I want us to continue to grow in the way that we push our staff and students to listen, and learn from one another.

Valor is not a perfect place. We make mistakes every day and choose to learn from those mistakes. Where there are gaps, we create opportunities, encourage you to use your voice, want to know your short-term and long-term personal and professional goals, and do what we can to support you in achieving your goals. We are a team connected by our humanity and committed to our improvement. If you want to work somewhere where you are seen, heard, and known, this is where you want to be. If you want to be supported in your journey, then this is where you want to be. If you want to become a content expert, this is where you want to be. You will leave better than you were when you came.

I had grade-level and school-level leadership experience before I joined Valor, so I was interested in pursuing leadership at Valor from the time I started here in 2019. However, it was important to me to really understand the organization and community first, and I believe there’s no better way to do that than gaining experience as a teacher. I really focused on learning to be a better teacher during my first year at Valor, and my coach at that time certainly helped me improve. I use things I learned then in my role as a Principal today. I learned what it meant to be truly prepared to teach a lesson and how to effectively analyze and respond to data. I also developed a deeper sense of self-awareness and a keener eye towards not neglecting the importance of equity at all times.

What I enjoy most about what I do at Valor is being a part of a scholar’s educational journey, not only academically, but also emotionally and through the development of life skills. The connections built through this work shape how students are understood, supported, and advocated for. This role positions me to transform that understanding into thoughtful action that supports meaningful growth.