Q&A: Kelly Goethals, Principal of Grassland Elementary

A sign that hangs in Kelly Goethals’s office reads, “have courage and be kind.” It’s her own personal motto, and one that he hopes to instill in students. 

To her, that means, “the courage to make the hard decisions, the courage to do what may not be popular, the courage to do what is right even when it's hard, but there's always a kind way of doing it, and a way of showing respect for the other people involved,” Goethals says. 

Goethals has worked for the Williamson County Schools since 2013, most recently serving as assistant principal at Clovercroft Elementary School in Franklin. The first-time principal spoke with Williamson Scene about the year ahead. 

Williamson Scene: What are some of your goals as a first-time principal? 

Kelly Goethals: My goal, being a first-time principal and also just being new to Grassland, is just really getting to know the students, the families, and the staff. One thing that I've already really noticed is how strong this community is, and how tight-knit this community is. 

The teachers have been here a while. They live in the community. They're really rooted in that, and the families have been here a really long time as well.

What do you want parents, teachers and students to know about you? 

I hope they know that I'm here every day to work hard for them, for their child, for the teachers, for the family. I'm here for them and to support them and to support their students. I am really big on building relationships with the teachers and the students and families. I'm really big on having really consistent and clear expectations, so I hope that they start to see that in my weekly communication that I send out to families. 

I really want them to be in the know of what is happening at Grassland, but then also what to expect at Grassland — making my expectations and communication really clear to them. 

What do you do to decompress and make sure that you don't get burned out?

I like to just relax at home with my husband and my dogs. I like to read and just have self-care. I like to unplug from work when I know it's needed, so that I can recharge and come back the next day.

What’s the hardest part and the most rewarding part of your work? 

I would say the hardest part is the overwhelming responsibility that you feel. Nothing just happens. You have to plan everything and make a plan for how to implement that plan and oversee that plan. It's overwhelming when you think about being in charge of an entire building and like the safety of all the people — students, staff, teachers. 

The most rewarding part? I would say arrival is my favorite part of the day. Before we open the doors, I walk the hallways and say good morning and check in on every teacher, and that's something that I've been doing for probably the last eight or nine years. 

Then at 8:30 when we're opening the doors, I'm right at the door greeting and saying good morning to kids. I would say that is the most rewarding part of the day is just greeting them and seeing them come in every morning, smiling and happy. It doesn't matter what mood you've been in before; they put you in a good mood.

What do you think is a quality that a principal should have to be effective at any school?

Two things really come to mind. One is always assuming positive intent, no matter what the situation, no matter what happened, what was said, what was done. Start with assuming positive intent by that person. That will take you a long way.

Kind of along the same lines is just having respect for every person you're interacting with, every student, every teacher, every staff member. Regardless of their role and title, they carry a huge weight and have an important part in keeping the school running. 

Anything else you want to add? 

I'm excited to continue to honor the work that has been done at Grassland. I feel so fortunate to step into a school that has such great students and such great parent involvement and support and strong instruction. I just hope to bring some new traditions to the school that can help it become my own a little bit, too.