How Teaching First Grade Inspires Mission of Faith

In Chapter 1 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "To What Do You Aspire?" Going into Teach for America, Smith is assigned to teach first grade instead of his preference for fourth or fifth grade. Teaching the children to read proves to be a transformational moment that connects Smith to student families and leads him deeper into a mission to provide great schools for every child.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows.

Finding Meaningful Work in Elementary Education

In Chapter 2 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?" Smith shares how he gets fulfillment helping kids and families come together around a shared education purpose. Teaching elementary school creates lifetime bonds between Smith, his students and their families serve to constantly remind him of the bigger mission in his work long after he has left the classroom teaching for a CEO job.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows.

Preston Smith on Joining Teach for America After Graduating College

In Chapter 3 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "Why Did You Join Teach for America After Graduating College?" Smith shares how growing up in a low income community with underperforming schools helped him connect to the Teach for America mission. He finds the program an opportunity to make a community impact right after college. The program helps him pay back his student loans and leads while making a difference and finding inspiration to build an education career.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows.

Preston Smith on Teaching First Grade at Teach for America

In Chapter 4 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "How Did Teaching in the Teach for America Program Inform the Next Steps in Your Career?" Smith shares how he developed an affinity for community organizing and teaching as a first grade teacher in Teach for America. He learns to work with student families and parents to get support outside the classroom and improve student engagement in the classroom.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Starting a Grade School and Becoming Its Principal

In Chapter 5 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Made You Decide to Leave a High School Teaching Job and Become a School Principal?" After completing his second year teaching at Teach for America and going through CMAs - Corps Member Advisor - training and development, Smith runs into bureaucratic obstacles during his third year teaching. The challenge gets Smith more engaged in the local community and leads to him starting a new San Jose grade school that he leads as principal.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on the Awesome Feeling of Working at a Job You Love

In Chapter 6 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Do You Enjoy Most About What You Do?" As CEO of a network of schools serving low-income districts in California, Smith finds inspiration working with talented and committed co-workers doing mission-based work to build higher quality schools to give students a better education.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Going From Employee to Entrepreneur

In Chapter 7 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "How Did You Make the Leap From Being an Employee to Become an Entrepreneur?" Smith talks about pushing through a transition out of teaching elementary school to becoming an entrepreneur and starting a school. Seeing an unaddressed need for higher quality education, Smith embraces youthful energy to work through family and financial challenges to start a small school called LUCHA.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Improving Quality Grade School Choices for Parents

In Chapter 8 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Inspires You Most About the Charter School Education Model?" To Smith, improving education quality comes down to creating a market of choices so parents can choose the best school for their child. While Smith notes not all charter schools translate into higher quality choices, he makes a point that charter schools represent a central way to innovation education by creating higher quality school options for parents and their kids.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Making an Impact in Your Local Community

In Chapter 9 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "How Does Your Work Allow You to Impact the Community You Love and Make a Difference?" After 14 years living in San Jose, Smith finds purpose and meaning in serving over 5,000 families by providing quality education. He is reminded of his contribution daily, engaging parents and their children around the community at church and around town. He finds inspiration knowing there is an opportunity to expand his local school model from San Jose, California into Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Nashville, Tennessee.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Teaching Teachers Common Core Critical Thinking

In Chapter 10 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Has Your Work Experience Taught You About How Education Careers are Changing?" Smith shares how teacher training is shifting from outcome-based training built on No Child Left Behind to input-based training of Common Core standards. Inherent to this is a higher focus on critical thinking and problem solving. As a result, teachers need to adapt training to meet expectations of the new standards while also being flexible to embrace new changes in education such as new classroom technology.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Having a Spouse Who Supports Your Career

In Chapter 11 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?" Smith shares how having a supportive spouse has given him security in trying times as he has grown from teaching into an education entrepreneur. The support grows in significance as Preston and his wife start a family.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Marriage Encounter Influences on Married Life

In Chapter 12 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Has Marriage Taught You About Teamwork?" Growing up, Smith watches his parents attend marriage encounter relationship building groups and sees the positive impact it has on their marriage and the family. He learns that marriage is a daily commitment that needs daily attention. By making that daily commitment to marriage and his spouse, Smith finds he learns a lot about life and the importance of staying positive.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on What It Means to Be a Leader

In Chapter 13 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Does It Mean to Be a Leader in What You Do?" As CEO, Smith finds leading means putting people in places where they an do their best work. Leading means staying above the politics and not being divisive in his thinking. Leading means framing things in a positive way and avoiding an us versus them mentality. Finally, leading means embracing the responsibility that as a leader he will often be the one needing to make the tough decisions that often will be unpopular.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Aspen Fellow Preston Smith on Developing Leadership Capacity

In Chapter 14 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "How Did Your Aspen Institute Fellowship Contribute to Your Professional Development?" Selected into the Pahara Fellowship leader development program at the Aspen Institute, Smith joins a cohort of entrepreneurial education leaders. There, he learns via peer self-refections that help him identify ways to improve how he leads his life and his organization.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on When to Be a Hands-Off Team Leader

In Chapter 15 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "When Are You At Your Best?" As a CEO, Smith learns when not to be a hands-on leader and focus his energy on empowering employee teams in a hands-off way. He finds he can be at his best by putting people in a position to succeed and learning when to insert himself and provide support.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Measuring Success Managing Charter Schools

In Chapter 16 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "How Do You Define and Measure Success in What You Do?" As CEO running a network of K-5 charter schools, Smith defines and measures success using a number of qualitative and quantitative inputs, from student learning outcomes to teacher satisfaction surveys to parent participation analysis. These help Smith work toward a goal of waking up every day knowing he is doing everything he can to build great schools full of happy employees and achieving students.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows.

Preston Smith on Leading and Motivating Executive Teams

In Chapter 17 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage and Motivate Teams?" Smith shares how he now is learning to lead an executive team after leading more junior staff as a grade school principal. Smith finds leading executive team members means making sure to honor their respective strengths and experience, asking the right questions on the right topics, and knowing when to be  hands-off as a CEO.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows. 

Preston Smith on Staying Humble When You Think You Are Successful

In Chapter 18 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "At This Moment in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?" Smith shares a big life lesson he learned from crashing a car while in high school. The lesson reminds him to stay humble even when you think you have everything figured out. As a professional, this helps Smith embrace support from an executive coach, his Aspen Institute Pahara Fellowship cohort and a group of advisors he terms his "kitchen cabinet."

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows.