Super Principal Builds Relationship by Visiting Homes of 1000 Students

In 2018, I read one of the most amazing news stories about an educator. According to the article, principal Ms. Elizabeth MacWilliams in Raleigh, NC, had visited every home of her students. Closed to 1000 so far.

Apparently, both the students and their parents love the visits from this principal in Carroll Middle School. Her profound commitment and dedication make everyone feels she cares deeply about her students. In return, they give her trust and love. A solid relationship is built between the educator and the students. Such a beautiful story!

This prompted me to send her an “interview” to follow up with her quest. She graciously responded to my email. However, she said, “April and May are so incredibly busy, and my students and teachers must be my priority at this time,” and “I promise – I’ll be in touch soon.”

I told her she was absolutely right: that her students and teachers should be her priority. I anxiously await her response to my interview and questions below:

Hello Ms. MacWilliams,

With the utmost fascination and admiration, I read the February N&O story featuring you. Your dedication to your students’ welfare is both inspiring and heartwarming.

Educators like you are the unsung heroes.

As a former educator myself, I plan to add a new section on my website – www.ucancomplainblog.com – to honor educators, like yourself, nationally, who go way above and beyond to help our children succeed in school. Without this level of dedication, many students could fall through the cracks in the school system, drop out, and have no future.

I would like to follow up with the N&O story and conduct a short interview with you, if you don’t mind answering the following questions.

1) How do you regard the students at Carroll Middle? Do you consider them to be: your students, your children, your little friends, or something else?

2) How many years have you been visiting the homes of your students since you were an elementary school teacher in Wilmington?

3) Following your mother’s footstep, you became a teacher. Now, as a principal, you also visit your students’ homes like she did. Did your mother tell you how she started doing home visits?

4) Did she tell you why home visits were important to her?

5) Why do you continue the tradition of home visits?

6) How do you think the parents feel when you, the principal, visit their home?

7) How do you think your students feel when you, the principal, visits them in their home?

8) You said the home visits build relationships, as well as deepen trust and respect. Do you believe by accomplishing this, your students tend to misbehave or act out less?

9) How do you usually deal with a student when he or she acts out and is brought to your office?

10) Other than fulfilling students’ academic needs, what else do you think educators can provide to students to help them succeed in school?

11) Are you on track to visit 1003 of your students’ homes by the end of this school year?

Thank you in advance for your time and effort!