Jil Blake

Background

About Jil Blake

It took me years to fully see myself as a leader, but I now know it’s exactly where I’m meant to be. For me, leadership isn’t about titles or management—it’s about caring deeply for students, keeping them at the center of every decision, and creating schools where they feel known, challenged, and inspired. I grew up in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, attending a small rural school with just nine students in my class. That experience shaped me. Rural schools teach you the value of community, accountability, and connection—lessons that have stayed with me throughout my career. I’ve taught in both rural and urban schools, from a regional high school in Vermont to an Expeditionary Learning middle school in Springfield, Massachusetts. I served as an instructional coach in Hartford, Connecticut, working alongside teachers in a high-poverty, high-diversity school where I learned the critical importance of equity and culturally responsive teaching. Later, as a principal in Brooklin, Maine, I had the chance to build a school culture rooted in relationships, experiential learning, and high expectations. We created a portrait of a graduate for every grade and made sure students knew who they were becoming. That experience deepened my desire to lead beyond one building. Earning my doctorate in educational leadership gave me the systems-level perspective I needed to think bigger—about policy, equity, and sustainable change. Still, no matter how large the system, my leadership always comes back to this: keep students at the center. I never set out to become a school leader, but looking back, every step prepared me for this work. Leadership is not about having all the answers—it’s about listening, building trust, and creating the conditions where others can thrive. And that’s the kind of leader I strive to be.