This article was originally printed in Albany’s Chamber of Commerce Biz Magazine.
It all started with a tweet.
Sherwood Christian Academy teacher Mrs. Vicki Davis considers Mr. Jonathan Dyal “a great principal.” Last fall, she tweeted about her experience with SCA’s Middle School & High School Principal, which ultimately led to her writing a chapter about him in the newly released book, “What Makes a Great Principal: The Five Pillars of Effective School Leadership” by George Couros and Allyson Apsey.
A month and a half into working with Mr. Dyal, Mrs. Davis was surprised by his unique administration and leadership skills. Not only did he immediately connect with his middle school and high school students in his inaugural year at SCA, but he also stood out as a great leader and supporter of secondary teachers.
SCA Technology and Computer Science teacher Mrs. Davis is well-known in the education world as an influential blogger on CoolCatTeacher.com. She is a keynote speaker at major education summits; winner of several international awards as a top teacher blogger, including the Bammy Award for top podcast host in education; is listed as one of the top edtech influencers in the world; and featured in USA Today.
Mrs. Davis, @CoolCatTeacher on X (formerly Twitter), tweeted on September 2023:
I have the most amazing principal. He has observed me 8 times since school started in August. Just in my room and everywhere all the time. He knows what is happening and the kids love him. He plays pickup basketball with kids last period sometimes. The kids say he teleports but also that he is awesome. I am a better teacher because I have an amazing admin.
Allyson Apsey, who was coauthoring the book with George Couros, saw the tweet and asked Mrs. Davis to contribute to the book. This led to a chapter all about SCA and Mr. Dyal and his unique methods as a principal. The book already has international reach!
After 12 years of education experience, what makes Mr. Dyal stand out in the world of education? According to Mr. Dyal, it’s servant leadership and the impact of past mentors.
“I have always felt like leading through service was the way that Jesus led,” Mr. Dyal said. “Servant leadership is very important to me because of my faith and is my primary reason for doing what I do the way that I do it.”
Another factor for his leadership methods is mentorship. “I have had incredible leaders throughout my career who have modeled support and servant leadership to me as I was working for them. One of my goals as a leader is to continue providing support and serving my staff, as my previous leaders did for me.”
Mr. Dyal, working alongside the admin team at SCA comprised of SCA Headmaster Kenny Roberts and Elementary Principal Sylvia Hager, have created a unified leadership team at the private, Christian school. Their administration methods have worked well at SCA with the faculty, leading to a strong culture and high morale amongst the staff, and a cohesion between leaders and staff.
“This allows for a climate of productivity as well as everyone ‘pulling’ in the same direction,” Mr. Dyal said. “We all want what is best for our students and we all lean on each other to accomplish the task at hand.”
When asked about the best part of being in the Sherwood Christian Academy family, Mr. Dyal responded: “My favorite thing about my position is the opportunity to teach, correct, and encourage through a biblical worldview. Having the freedom to include scripture in conversations and point people back to Christ as the reason for what we do is an incredible opportunity.”
