Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Brailov
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always loved working with kids! I grew up being a camp counselor, swim instructor, babysitter, and teacher’s assistant. When I began college at the University of Iowa, choosing to major in elementary education was an easy decision. While in my education program I was approached by a Teach for America (TFA) recruiter who explained the mission and vision of TFA. I was drawn to their initiative and felt compelled to apply to the program. I was placed in Orangeburg, South Carolina and was assigned to teach 3rd grade at Mellichamp Elementary School. I worked at Mellichamp from July of 2015 to June of 2021. I had the best experience in Orangeburg. I taught 3rd grade for three years and then 4th grade for two years. I absolutely loved being a teacher! Building relationships with scholars and their families meant so much to me. I enjoyed making learning fun and pushing my scholars to exceed expectations far beyond our school goals. In my third year of teaching I completed my Masters of Science in Elementary Education with Johns Hopkins University and still remember FaceTiming my class in my cap and gown just before walking into the stadium for graduation. In my final year in Orangeburg I became a School Level Technologist. I had the opportunity to coach our teachers as they navigated virtual teaching during covid. While working as a teacher, I often partnered with TFA serving as a mentor and content coach to other new teachers joining TFA. Throughout my six years in Orangeburg I frequently attend professional development with TFA and learned about different pathways towards school leadership roles. I was fortunate to have an amazing principal, Mr. Hayward Jean, during five years of my time at Mellichamp Elementary. His presence as a leader truly inspired me to explore school leadership as a pathway. Through watching his leadership in action and participating in professional development with school leaders across the country, I became inspired to work towards pursing school leadership as my next career move. I realized while I loved working with scholars, I also loved supporting teachers to make sure they have the opportunity and guidance to grow their own skills and serve scholars in the best way possible. Orangeburg is such a special place to me because it serves as my foundation in all things I know to be true in education. My closest friends and professional role models are all in Orangeburg and we all keep in touch regularly. I knew whenever I left Orangeburg it had to be for a dream job. When I saw the job posting for the Dean of Academics at Compass Collegiate Academy, I knew this was it. It was literally my dream job. I would have the opportunity to build a school from the ground up while serving in a role that allowed me to support scholars, families, and teachers. It was everything I wanted! As we begin year four, it still continues to be the dream job that I always wanted.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was fiercely committed and dedicated towards growing my craft as a young teacher. I wanted every professional development opportunity that I could get. I was fortunate to be surrounded by a great team in Orangeburg which helped mold me into the educational leader I am today. My biggest challenge was adjusting to my current role at Compass Collegiate Academy because I started a new role at a school that I was also helping build. In our first year, the building we were renting was not completed by the first day of school! We had to start our year in another school’s space for a week and then we moved to a church for two weeks. Once we finally made it into the building we were faced with many challenges over three years. Between enrollment, funding, outgrowing our space, and navigating the ever changing landscape of education… it was a challenging journey but one that has been so meaningful and special to be apart of. This year we are moving into our first building that we own! It’s truly amazing to see our sign up on a building that we’ve purchased after our journey began three years ago. It has made all the bumps in the road worth it. Watching our scholar and family population grow so much that we now need our own space has been such a win for us. I know this year is about to be so special as we make this building our first home!
Another major challenge I faced was during our third year we had an unexpected vacancy arise in 3rd grade at the beginning of October. I knew the best thing for me to do was jump into the role of 3rd grade teacher to ensure our scholars continued to have the best experience possible. I taught 3rd grade from October to January. It was really special to get back into the classroom. I felt very at home and enjoyed every moment! Shortly after we filed the 3rd grade vacancy we had another unexpected vacancy in 2nd grade. I taught 2nd grade from the end of January through the remainder of the school year. I spent all but four weeks as a classroom teacher. While the experience was challenging as I was balancing being a full time teacher and Dean of Academics, it truly reminded me of why I do what I do. I love our scholars and families and I firmly believe in our mission and vision. Being able to contribute to my school by way of teaching felt like a special opportunity to practice what I preach. While this was the the most challenge experience of my professional career, it was the one that further redefined the work I will do as a leader moving forward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Dean of Academics at Compass Collegiate Academy. My role involves me coaching our teachers and ensuring they are being developed and grown as instructional leaders. I also plan and facilitate professional development for our team each week. I lead all instructional programming at our school. From testing to curriculum implementation to awards ceremonies… I lead it all! I spend a lot of time reading and researching best practices and learning as much as I can about teaching and learning to serve as an instructional expert on our team. I will always consider myself a learner and feel grateful to be in a career where I spend my days still learning and growing. Within our school community I would say that I am known for bringing the joy to our scholars, families, and team! I love making our school a joyful place for everyone! I have a big vision for learning and joy is a huge piece of that vision. As long as our team, scholars, and families are happy and growing… all is well for me! My fierce commitment to living out our mission and vision is what sets me apart. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Compass Collegiate Academy. I will serve in any capacity and do anything for our school community if it means helping us all grow and enjoy our time together. I believe in leading by example and want to be a positive role model for scholars and teachers. In our first three years, I am most proud of the work I did as a teacher in year three. While serving as a 3rd grade teacher I had the highest reading growth data in the school. While serving as a 2nd grade teacher, I again had the highest reading growth data. While it was clear I was growing scholars academically, I was equally proud of the classroom community and culture I created in both spaces last year. My classroom was a place of joy, humor, and relentless effort towards achieving excellence. I am so proud of how I navigated having two roles last school year. Having spent a year teaching and forming incredibly special relationships with scholars and families is what I am most proud of. This experience was incredibly challenging but one where I always smile while talking about.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
It’s hard to choose one but if I could choose a few I would say that my passion for excellence, desire to continue to learn and grow, and joyful spirit all greatly impact my success. I only do what I love. I am serving as the Dean of Academics at Compass Collegiate Academy because of how much I believe in what we are doing and I love doing it. I whole heartedly love what I do each day. I tell everyone I go to school, not work. To me, it’s an experience not a job! I also explain that I have a role not a position. I take it seriously that our families and staff members all have chosen to be at our school and I want to give them a reason to feel confident in that choice each day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cca-chs.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccacharleston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCACharleston
