Association of Washington School Principals
Volume 2 – 2020-21

From the AWSP President

Culture Matters ... Now More Than Ever!
Don’t let circumstances get in the way of your ultimate goal
Cameron Grow
2020-21 AWSP Board President, Principal, Lincoln Middle, Pullman SD
As we move closer to hybrid learning at Lincoln Middle School, there is one thing that’s become crystal clear during this pandemic: Culture is key.
Culture always matters in schools, but right now it matters more than ever. Through all the ups and downs of school leadership during the last year, the culture of my building has carried us and created opportunities at the same time. For us, our culture is about being positive, no matter the circumstance. Our culture is about teamwork and how we can continue to be better for kids and families. Finally, our culture is “kids first.” We make decisions based upon our kids and their learning. In one of my columns before the pandemic, I wrote about the “Power of the Positive.” It may be something I live, but it is also how I lead. I believe this has become part of the culture at Lincoln Middle School. No matter the obstacle that is in our way, we find a way to overcome it and to be better because of the experience. Throughout the last year, our positivity is one of the pieces of culture in my building that I am most proud of. Being positive does not mean we ignore reality. It means we maintain hope, faith, and optimism in order to create a better reality. When circumstances are tough, having a positive culture is the key to building wide success.
Being positive does not mean we ignore reality. It means we maintain hope, faith, and optimism in order to create a better reality. When circumstances are tough, having a positive culture is the key to building wide success.
We decided long ago here at LMS that we won’t let anyone fail because our team is too strong to allow failure. This is about our work with kids and our work with each other. We like to say it is all about teamwork. We let the kids know that sometimes they will be the star, but more importantly, sometimes you help someone else be the star. The same is true with our staff. When we hire, we hire staff to help create a better team. Through the last year, great teams shine because it was already embedded in their culture. In the last year, we faced many forks in the road, and our teams decided to chase greatness, together. For us, it’s always been kids first. Well before the pandemic, we prided ourselves on making decisions to benefit kids first. We continued to make all of our decisions with this in mind over the last year. I believe this made our path clearer on what we needed to accomplish with students during this unique time. This gives us purpose and helps us define where we want to go next. We did not ask for the last calendar year. We consistently remind ourselves that this is temporary and soon it will be a new day. We knew that our team was here to support all kids and families…it was not an individual thing. We looked at this last year as a challenge and an opportunity to grow. And lastly, we believe that the best is yet to come for our kids, families, and staff.
Culture matters…now more than ever!
Cameron Grow is the 2020-21 AWSP Board President. He has been principal at Lincoln Middle School in Pullman School District since 2007.
Find us on
Association of Washington School Principals
Washington Principal | Volume 2 – 2020-21