Episode 91: Starting and Supporting Schools with David K. Richards
David K. Richards is an intuitive and visionary leader who helps change makers usher in new paradigms for learning and leadership. He is the current Founder & CEO of Changemaker Schools, a network of microschools, and Pathfinder, a program to help others open schools. David is also a speaker and leadership coach and leads a mastermind program, the Wise Warrior and a podcast, Changemaker ED “U”. He has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, and founder of several innovative charter schools with nationally recognized Summit Public Schools and the school he started, Growth Public School. David has dedicated his life to helping people of all ages connect with the powerful intuitive leader within themselves.
In this episode, David and I discussed his education journey from corporate banking to education, what he’s learned about himself over the years in the education world, and why he dove into the world of microschools.
Topics Discussed:
How educators can— and should— follow their hearts, even when it leads them to unconventional pathways
Why he couldn’t give up education even after some rough patches
Why teachers have experiences that are valuable outside the classroom
Resources mentioned:
Take our FREE quiz to nail down your next best career step in education.
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Read the transcript for this episode:
Welcome to Educator Forever, where we empower teachers to innovate education. Join us each week to hear stories of teachers expanding their impacts beyond the classroom and explore ways to reimagine teaching and learning.
David K. Richards is an intuitive and visionary leader who helps changemakers usher in new paradigms for learning and leadership. He is the current founder and CEO of Changemaker Schools, a network of micro schools; and Pathfinder, a program to help others open schools. David is also a speaker and leadership coach and leads a mastermind program the wise warrior and a podcast Changemaker Edu. He has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal and founder of several innovative charter schools with nationally recognized summit public schools and the school he started growth public school. David has dedicated his life to helping people of all ages connect with the powerful intuitive leader within themselves.
Hey, David, so nice to have you here.
David K. Richards
Great to be here. Thank you. Awesome.
Lily Jones
Well, well, I usually start by having people tell us about their journey as an educator, which I definitely want to hear from you. But I know that your professional journey started before being an educator. And you started as a corporate banker, is that correct? That is correct. All right. So tell us about how you made that transition from corporate banker?
David K. Richards
Yeah, it's, it's I know, I told you the corporate banker part. But there's a twist that before I went into banking, and I actually did try to be a teacher. So interesting, I found I had studied abroad in Costa Rica. So I spoke Spanish. And so when I got out of college, I had found a small school that you could teach Spanish part time without a certification in California, right? And so I did that for one semester, and I was so miserable. No training, I thought I could just walk in… anyway, it was just a really bad experience. And so that kind of drove my decision to run away from teaching after that experience, and go into corporate banking. So the corporate banking story is, I had, you know, gone through a bunch of different, trying different things. I became a banker, I was working two blocks from Washington, DC, from the White House in Washington, DC – like the life looked really great. And however, I really was miserable. So I know you're, you know, what you talk about, it's like if you want to leave the classroom, but mine was the opposite, which was like, running to the classroom and away from a situation that I didn't like. So it was really pretty clear. I felt like it was time for me to change. And I just turned 30. And it was still very courageous and a little bit crazy. But I just felt like it was my calling and I had to do it.
Lily Jones
Yeah, so interesting. And how did you resolve that, like, first experience as a teacher didn't seem so positive? What made you feel like you still wanted to do it?
David K. Richards
Well, it's really funny, because I actually did not apply for… Most of the graduate programs I applied for were for education policy, like a master's in education policy. So I was still scared of teaching. But I was doing like, I was tutoring Ethiopian immigrants. I was coaching basketball, I was tutoring at DC schools. So I was doing a lot of like, teacher work. But I was still really scared of actually going back to the classroom after that. And so I happen to have one program that was a teacher's and a master's degree because I thought, well, I'm in DC, and I want to do you know, I'm gonna have to do policy. I want to be policy, but I have to actually understand what it means to be a teacher. So maybe I'll just teach for like a year or two. I'll just go back in. And then of course, I totally fell in love with it.
Lily Jones
Yeah. Interesting. So tell us about that. So you became a classroom teacher? And then what was that like? And what happened afterwards?
David K. Richards
Okay, yeah. So I ended up going into the classroom and went straight into Oakland public schools, which was, as you know, a really interesting question, like a big urban district or interesting decision, big urban district. And I always tell people, I didn't have trouble with the kids. Like I got really well trained in my teacher training program. I had a great cooperating teacher that taught me how to manage a class. I was ready to handle urban kids and like classroom management, all that. So that was fine. The problem that I ran into were the adults. It was really the adults that were difficult, and just the culture in general was like, really, it was just a very negative culture. And so, I kind of felt like really beaten down and by March of that first year, I felt like, oh my gosh, I'm like leaving the classroom again? You know what's happening? And but I decided that I would give it another try and found a charter school organization. And they were just starting out and starting to grow. And so when I started with some public schools in the Bay Area, they had one high school at the back of a big high school campus like we took over their tennis court and people are mad about that with like eight portables. It was a really cool experience because it was all about the kids. There were like very few politics. It was small. We were all values aligned, and I totally fell in love with teaching again. And so then I taught for seven years there, and then ended up moving into becoming a principal of the second and third school and then helping and then I moved into the chief of schools role and then helped seven principals open new schools. And so I, again was teaching and really enjoyed that piece of it.
Lily Jones
Yeah, so interesting. I mean, it's cool, just kind of how where you can end up sometimes that leads you into different paths. I don't think I would have been interested in curriculum design. But I also traveled to charter school in Oakland, where we have like, full, creative freedom to create really awesome units. And just that experience, like I still even think about just like professional development meetings where we would be collaborating around units and was like, so excited, and like, totally changed the course of my trajectory. So it's interesting hearing, like, how being at the right school for you, you know, and with the right people, opened up all these different pathways for you to support other people, too.
David K. Richards
Yeah, absolutely. I feel like that's what I love for your audience to hear that. You just never know what's going to happen. And as long as you're open, and you know, I really was pretty scared of leaving that corporate banking job, and my family did not support it, you know, my co-workers did not support it. My wife, I love her. She was like, “Okay, if you, you know, I want you to be happy.” So she supported it, we'd have children and a mortgage at that point so I might be different now. But she did support it and that was enough, you know, for me to make that leap. But I just felt like there was like this kernel of truth that I was following. And I just felt like if I just kept taking one step at a time, and just follow that path, that good things would happen, and a lot of good things did happen. And even you know, ending up in Oakland, that experience for you only one year, it really shaped my whole entire education perspective, like spending that time in a school that was under-resourced, with these amazing kids and a broken system. It really did inform my values and my view on education. So even that part of the journey was totally meant to be.
Lily Jones
Absolutely, yeah, it's interesting thinking about, like, the nudge, you know, that I think many of us have felt like, “Oh, I really want to explore this thing.” It's like honoring that without also having to have figured it all out. Because I think sometimes people can be like, Okay, I want to make this transition. So I have to, like, plan it all out. Like here's my 12-month plan of how I'm gonna do this thing. And it's like, great, but I think it's kind of a dance of like, having an intention, and also being open to the different things that might cross your path.
David K. Richards
Absolutely. And I always talk about following your intuition and really trusting that and like, you don't know exactly what's going to happen. But you know, I remember sitting, you know, since you were in Oakland, we live close to Lake Merritt, I remember sitting next to Lake Merritt, and just, it was like, March, my first year teaching, and it was so depressed, and I just thought, am I leaving this profession again? Like, I just spent a bunch of money for private school to get a master's degree, like, really doing this again? Like what is happening here? And that's when I was like, Okay, there's something here that's telling me not to leave the profession, but just to kind of look for something different. And I actually did end up commuting from Oakland to Redwood City for those seven years, which is, if you're in the Bay Area, as I know you are and others may be listening – that is crazy. There's like two bridges and five freeways., I was spending three hours a day on average in a car. But I loved the school so much. And I loved teaching so much that it was worth it. But again, like I didn't know that when I was sitting there by the lake, like kind of contemplating, and beating myself up for once again, you know, being in this position. And I'm really glad that I didn't follow the kind of conventional logical path like, “Okay, just go back to banking, you can triple your salary like someone will hire yo,u can take BART to the financial district, no problem.” But I just I decided no, that was not that easy path was not going to be the right path. And it was a good decision, because it ended up opening so many doors for me.
Lily Jones
Yes, I love that. And it's like I love – I'm sorry to say – I love but it wasn't easy. Like, I think sometimes like the things that are the most meaningful we make sacrifices for or we do the work for, you know, like, so it's also like not having an expectation that just because you really want to do something, it's not like all the stars will align. And you'll just walk this path and it will be very clear. So it's like embracing the hard part of it, too. I think it's so important.
David K. Richards
Absolutely. And it's just like really trusting your intuition, trusting your gut, like whatever is telling you to take that next step and just doing it one step at a time, like one step at a time. Try it out. I mean, your story too, right? Like yousaid, you had no idea. This is where you land. And I didn't think that this is where I planned, right? And so it's just kind of like following that. And honestly, like people know, like, I really knew I wanted to be a teacher. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. And I thought I wanted to be a basketball coach. I was like, Oh, I'm gonna be a basketball coach, which I did for years, but I still do but it's like, I never thought I would enjoy being a classroom teacher until I actually got in there and did it. My logical mind is like you didn't really like school that much. Like you went to a kind of mediocre public schools and you kind of got lost in the system and no one ever knew your aim. I had a pretty negative school experience. So I was like, why don't I want to go back to that torture like I finally got I got I got out of this place, I'm going to go back there and be employed. And so it just didn't make any logical sense. But there was a knowing that I had there was kind of this intuitive truth that I knew that I was like, I just kind of follow the good breadcrumbs a little bit at a time. And like I said, it took me seven more years to get back into the classroom after I left after first graduating from college. So if you know, just whatever it is, whether it's like you have a nudge right now to leave the classroom, or to teach part time, or to move into a different role, like, just follow one step at a time.
Lily Jones
Yes, absolutely. And so I'd love to hear a little bit about where your next step after, you know, being part of schools led you. I know you've started several different ventures. Can you tell us about those?
David K. Richards
Yeah, well, it's interesting, as part of the story, you know, I always had this kind of tension within myself about whether I should go into business or like more service oriented. And I remember when I first graduated from college, like I interviewed for a nonprofit on one side of the street, and then walked across the street and interviewed for like, this super high stakes, like, corporate sales job where they're, like, really mean are like, whoa, that's so weird. Like you have an internal conflict here. Like you don't know what you want, because of those experiences. So drastically different. But so I did end up landing, you know, now in a more entrepreneurial place, and kind of merging the business with the education piece. And you know, that's why I love charter schools, because there's that ability to kind of be a little bit different than a traditional public school. But yeah, so I ended up opening, ike I said, I opened seven schools with that organization I worked with as chief of schools and principal and teacher. Then I helped some other schools open up through my role as a board chair with other charter schools. And then I did open my own school. So when I turned 40 – I really like the decade marks. When I turned 40, I was the chief of schools. And I was working like 70-80 hours a week. I was always on the road: we had schools all the way from San Jose to Richmond. So I was always on the road. And everybody's problem was rolling up to me, right? And because I was poor, all the principals were working. So it's like, every problem was just me on the phone, like, okay, so call this parent and then call the police. And that was my life all day, every day. And I was like, I'm so unhappy right now. And, you know, once again, like, it was the same feeling I had at 29, interestingly enough, because I was kind of in this like, corporate role where it's like, you know, hierarchy and politics, but it felt so similar. And I'm like, Wait, what happened to that guy that loved kids and loved teaching, and I had lost that part of me. And so I started to ask myself, like, “what do you really want to do?” So I ended up going and opening a school, we left the Bay Area and moved to Sacramento, where my wife's family's from. And I ended up opening K-8 charter school here in Sacramento, which is in its ninth year. And that was another like trajectory-changing moment where I really was able to slow things down and get back onto the track that I really loved, which is like being with the families, being with the kids and working in a smaller school instead of like a larger kind of like, you know, corporate type environment.
Lily Jones
Yeah, that's great. And so what are you doing now?
David K. Richards
So a few years ago, I transitioned out of the day to day of the school, and now I work as an advisor and a consultant. And so I started doing consulting. And then I fell in love with the micro schools movement, just in the last year. And I really started asking myself like, what is it that I love about schools? What did I love about, you know, where I think education can change. And I just heard more and more about the smaller schools that were opening, and a few years ago didn't have a term for it. Now they call them micro schools. And the idea is that it's a small school, anywhere from 15 to 150. Kids, there's one down the street from my house here that has 125 kids, and it's a K through 12. And it really allows you to work with a small community and to empower teachers to be autonomous. And you know, like you said, having power over the curriculum and really working closely with kids. And it's like, every teacher's dream, right? You got a classroom of like eight to maybe 15 kids, you have maybe a principal, maybe just somebody who's kind of an operations person, but it's like, everything's small, and intimate. And the families are, you know, working in partnership with you. And so I'm actually starting micro schools in Arizona, which is really interesting. And also helping other people open micro schools across the world. And my really good friend and I – I helped her open a school in South Dakota, called onward learning, which you guys should check out, I think it's onward-learning.org. And it's micro school for Native American students like right outside of the reservation where she grew up. So it's a super cool project. And she's doing a really interesting job. She's finding an interesting way to raise money around getting grants from the federal government and finding philanthropy so that I think it's like $400 a month, which is really hard for her families to afford, but she's figured out a way to supplement it to where they can, you know, they get like childcare reimbursement. So it's really exciting. And I think that's where we could go in the future with micro schools.
Lily Jones
Yeah, that's so interesting. And so thinking about teachers, like what do you think the benefits for teachers starting their own micro school?
David K. Richards
Yeah, I think starting around is an interesting one. I think if you're entrepreneurial, and you're the kind of person that could, you know, really handle kind of that, you know, on the credit chaotic like not you feel like you're the type of person could run a small business can be for you to start it. And if you're the person who's more like, I'd rather just work in the classroom, then you could join the team to start it, or you could look for employment. But I think the benefits are, I mean, it's a micro school, right? It's small. And so if you think about the problems that probably your listeners understand that you and I shared is, when you're teaching, like I said, I didn't leave my big high school and Oakland because the kids were so terrible. I left because the politics and the bureaucracy, and the culture was so bad for adults. And it just felt like, I'm going to just be so depressed here, you know, and I had to leave. But in a micro school, if you're on the starting team, like either started or you're on the team that's working to build it, or you're starting when it's small, you get to have a say in what you think is best for children, right? And so that's a huge benefit. It's small, which means you can change things quickly. And all the problems that we see in large kind of bureaucratic institutions, you're actually solving those problems, and you're allowing teachers to have autonomy and be empowered. And I just think it's really cool.
Lily Jones
Yes, absolutely. And I think like, as teachers, it's so different sometimes from what our experiences have been like. Like, I often have people come into our curriculum program, and I'm like, create the curriculum you want to see in the world, like, do what you think is aligned to your educational philosophy, like, all these things, which are like, so freeing for teachers, because I think often we get a little disconnected from that when teachers are not involved in those decisions. And I think most people who even are like, I want to leave the classroom, they don't want to leave, like for all the same reasons that you said they liked teaching, you know, they really love the kids. They want to work in education. And so giving that freedom and agency and chance to just dream of like, What could this school be like? What could school in general, be like for students? I thinkit can be such a transformative experience for teachers and for students.
David K. Richards
Yeah, and it's, it's so true because I remember meeting when I was opening my last school, I met this amazing teacher, because I've worked in high school. So I was looking for really great elementary school teachers. And I had met this woman, I went and visited her classroom. And we spent a lot of time together. And she told me after like three months of me visiting, she's like, “you've really reignited the spark that I have for teaching.” And I was like, What do you mean, she's like, Well, I've been teaching for 10 years. And I'm considered like the best teacher in the building. But I'm not really inspired anymore. And she's like, I just kind of settled, you know, and then she's like, you're talking about, you know, student centered learning and project based learning and like social emotional learning, and all these amazing things that I know that will be great for kids. But she's like, it was just so hard to do it in her school district, and within all of the different layers of decision-making and mandates that she just got so burned out. And so I feel like that's what's possible with micro schools is okay, we can kind of start fresh, or we can like, reimagine what it could be. And you could specialize in… I met with a woman yesterday, who is working with neurodivergent, kids Miami, and like, she just started a micro school, because she's basically got an after school center with like, 20 kids that are having different, you know, learning challenges, there are these amazing kids that are just, you know, drowning in traditional public school. And I'm like, You should start a micro school because it's 20 kids now, that's your micro school. And I tell you, the parents will be so excited to do that. And you'll find teachers that are perfect to work with kids that have whatever issues they're working through. And they'll be so excited that they just get to have those kids in their zone, all the distractions.
Lily Jones
Yes. And I think going back to like what you shared about just your first experience teaching in Oakland, and like, the teachers, or the grown ups feeling, I don't know, like negative, right? Like in a negative space. But I think a lot of us teachers have been in spaces like that with other grown ups who feel like they're in a negative space for many different reasons. But I think when you're in a space like that, it's hard to see other possibilities. It can make you feel like, Oh, I just have to leave education. Like it's just not working, you know, like all the things. And so what's so great about micro schools, or just anything that allows you to see different possibilities in education is just that it opens up so much more. And there is so much great work going on in education that can be leaned into and created.
David K. Richards
Yeah, and you know, one of the things I saw in the charter movement was that, you know, in that school that I told you about in Redwood City, we this was like 2006. So we were like one of the first schools to do all access AP courses. Every single one of our kids took AP and we got 96% of our kids to get accepted to a four year college. And we had all these great, you know, statistics and we were like Newsweek rank because of the AP, access and test scores and All that good stuff. But we actually, as a result of us being right next to that school district, within like five years, they started offering AP access for all. They started offering A through G requirements, you know, they changed their way of doing business because they realized that we have like a waiting list of five Americans. And so they realized, and we opened another one in the, in the same district. So that's like 1000 kids plus another five or so like, a couple thousand kids, that's like their whole high school. And so they realized that they had to actually reimagine and redo, you know, their way of teaching and learning differently. And so I feel like, that's the exciting piece about doing a micro school or doing something different on the side is that you can kind of show the big system, what could happen, if you're able to… you know, it's just like Netflix, right? It's like, we never thought there would be Netflix waves. And then all of a sudden, this little company shows us that there's a way to disrupt the industry. So I feel like that's a place where, you know, teachers are really smart, they have great ideas, they can get out of that kind of negative place. And honestly, like, if I was in a system for that long, I would probably be negative and be mean to the new teacher to like, there's in the building. It's more just like, you know, a symptom of the kind of culture of urban schools. But if you are in that place where you're like, really stuck, and you're in an environment where it's like, really negative, and a lot of naysayers, and you're not even like you can't find the courage within yourself, I think doing something like a micro school can really help you get out of that. And then you can actually push the larger education system just through your great ideas.
Lily Jones
It's like seeing micro schools as a lab, trying things and having more freedom to try things and less bureaucracy and less kids, right? Like, it all opens up. And I like this idea of it transfers, and that it can be used as kind of something where we show what works and what doesn't work, like not saying that everything has to work, too. But taking the learning forward. Yeah,
David K. Richards
it just happens quickly. Because you can do it. You know, one of the complaints we have, it's like, okay, it took us you know, two years to change the curriculum, or two years to change the tardy policy or whatever it is like, it takes forever. And I'm like your school, you can literally get together with the other three teachers and be like, wow, like, maybe we shouldn't do that anymore. You know, let's Yeah, let's change. Our working for the kids. Oh, with right, we're here for the kids. Okay, let's change that.
Lily Jones
Definitely. So I think throughout your story, you have so many great examples of following your heart, even when people are maybe doubting you or not supporting you and in ways that might be unconventional. What advice could you give other people on following their hearts?
David K. Richards
Yeah, so it's a great question. And I kind of mentioned it earlier, but I really feel like you kind of know, you know, and you're getting a lot of signs. So in both of my turning 30, turning 40 stories, like, when I was turning 40, I had all these back problems, I threw out my back. I had, you know, health issues, I wasn't sleeping, like I just had all these, my body was giving me a lot of examples that I was not on the right path. And I wasn't happy. You know, and I think we settle for mediocrity, because it's just easy. And we all do it, right. It's like, okay, we're comfortable… I saw a quote yesterday that said, like, the number one thing you should do in your life is get out of your comfort zone. And you can just do that and you're gonna change your life. So I feel like, when I was 40, I had that when I was 30. It was like, just looking around and feeling like, this is not a reflection of my greatest self. Looking at the people that were at the bank, I'm like, they are happy here. I'm not you know, and I just, I couldn't stay there any longer. So I think it's really trusting that part of you that knows something that's way beyond logical reasoning. And like I said, it could just be like taking small steps and just be like, Okay, I'm gonna make a phone call, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. Like, just listen, be open for it, because there's, by the time I hit 40, I had so I had 30. Like, I had so many clues, so many signs, so many things that were telling me, this is not the right path. And I just kept going because I felt like I should or I had to. So I'm giving everybody permission to trust that part of yourself that knows that you're, you know, maybe you need to make a change and just take it step by step.
Lily Jones
I love that idea of step by step too, because it doesn't necessarily mean like moving across the country tomorrow, like starting a school. You know, but you can feel paralyzed by it. But I think that you owe it to yourself, but to investigate anything that's calling you over and over again. And so taking a slow investigation if you need to, but really, you know, allowing yourself to let it unfold. So you don't wonder, you know, I think we have that's when regrets come in, right? I'd be like, well, what if I explored this?
David K. Richards
Yeah, no, that's really I think that's great advice. And I remember I was doing… I also do life coaching. And so I was doing a lot of these like life-coaching trainings. And there was a man and a woman on stage, I went to this big conference. And the man like, someone asked the question, and the male coach was like, put your job, like I've already I can already tell that you're not happy, like you're just you're living in mediocrity. And she was and then the woman was like, wow, yeah, it's clear that you want to quit your job and you're, you know, you're looking for something else. And your intuition is telling you what to do. But like what I would recommend is, you know, spending the next nine months making a plan and then getting really clear, so it was just faster. knew the man and the woman handled it. But to your point, I think it's really smart. Like once you start to get that kernel of truth, just to take like small steps and just trust yourself and, you know, make the plans, and then the plans might change, but really, like, just take the step, whatever it may be, just take the step a little bit at a time. I think they call it like turtle steps, just take the little turtle steps. And the next thing you know, you've, you've gotten 10 miles.
Lily Jones
So powerful. Absolutely. And so thinking about your own journey, you know, throughout your career, what have you learned about yourself along the way?
David K. Richards
Yeah, I think I have learned that I know what makes me happy. And that I… Well, so it's interesting, because being a teacher, for everyone listening, I always tell people, like, I've always been a teacher my whole entire life. And we did some sort of like identity map at my school several years ago, and one of the teachers like, Oh, you didn't put teacher in your identity map. I'm like, Oh, but I put coach, like, you know, because at that point, I was doing like leadership coaching. And but when she asked me that, I was like, we don't identify as a teacher anymore. Like I started. I don't think I'm a teacher. And I'm like, Oh, I just know, it's not the kind of the name teacher like classroom teacher, I don't identify with that. But I identify with being a teacher, quote, unquote, right. So it's like, when I learned about myself, throughout my whole entire life, you know, when I was in eighth grade, I was like, Oh, I really want to be a college basketball coach. And that didn't actually come to fruition. But then it's like, throughout my whole entire life, I've always had some sort of role. Even when I was a corporate banker, you're not gonna be surprised by this. I was always teaching everybody. Sure, whoever it was new, or whoever it was, you know, if it was the new assistant, or I was always teaching everybody and coaching them. And so I feel like we know, kind of like, what our essence is, and what we're really good at who we really are. And if you look back on your life, you can kind of like put the threads together and be like, oh, yeah, like, I always was, you know, I was always good at teaching. I was always good at mentoring and coaching. And so throughout my life, it's changed, like, what the structure is from, like working with teenagers teaching history to, you know, coaching executives to now like helping people open micro schools, it's all teaching at the end of the day. So whether you're leaving the classroom or not, and you love teaching, or whatever it may be for you, like, just just know that you're, you know, that you're great at, it could just look differently.
Lily Jones
I love that. And especially like, the idea that knowing what you love, or knowing what you're good at, and then allowing yourself to do it. So I think it's like both Like, it's like identifying the thing. And then being like, I can do that.
David K. Richards
I'm into that, and making money out of it. Because I think the kind of dominant narrative is like, Oh, you want to be an artist? Okay, you should do that on Saturdays, and go become an investment banker, right? That's kind of the, and I feel like, rather than going that direction of like, Oh, I love art. So I should be an artist. I mean, you could do that. But what I would recommend is like getting clear with what you love, like what you really good at what you love to do, and it's maybe like creative, you know, if it's being an artist, and maybe like creating things or whatever it may be, like, just broaden it a little bit, and then get clear on, you know, what are the different things I can do that can actually make money within this space, and like, stay with it and keep on that track. Because if I had, if I had accepted the normal narrative, like, teachers don't make any money – because that was one of my biggest fears. I was the first one for my family to go to college. You know, I had gotten a Berkeley degree, I thought it was so important, and nobody would hire me. But then I was like, Why can't I become a teacher? Because I just need to make money, like, I really have worked so hard to get this college degree. And if I had stuck with that, and not gone back after the seven years of going and making a lot of money, I would’ve regretted it. So I think that it's important to know that you know, money is possible, when you really clear what you're really good at, like the universe will provide once you're really clear on what you're what you're good at.
Lily Jones
I agree. And there are many different ways to get there. Yeah. So like, it's not just that it has to be one thing. There can be so many different options to try and just bringing that like innovative spirit that I think many teachers bring to the table already thinking about if it was a kid who wasn't learning something that you were teaching, you would be trying all the things. And so if it's you going after what you want to do, and you need to make money off of it, you can try all the things and try all the different angles in the same way.
David K. Richards
No, I totally agree. And I'd love that story of like, think about it as if it was a kid because a lot of the people that I coach, I will say this because they're like givers and they take care of people. And I'll be like, ”if it was your kid that needed this, like, what would you tell them?” “Oh, I tell them this and this” and that I'm like, Great. Now let's put your name in there. And they're like, Oh, wait. And I'm like, I would tell them that they need to look for a different job or they need to, you know, that there's multiple ways they can find, you know, teaching careers that are different than teaching in the classroom, or they can do part time or they can work, you know, in curriculum design is like, oh, yeah, I would tell them you know, there's infinite possibilities. I'm like, but we can't tell to ourselves because what if we just switch it there.
Lily Jones
Yes that's a great exercise for sure. And along with that, is there any other advice you'd give people, educators who maybe want to go after something in addition to teaching instead of teaching, but kind of have that poll that you described? Like, maybe I wanted to do something else? What advice would you give them?
David K. Richards
Yeah, I mean, I always feel like, I didn't realize how many skills teachers have, that are totally… that we don't even realize, you know, like, influencing, selling project management, human resources, working through conflict, like clear communication, you know, organization, creating facilitation, like creating experience, I do I facilitate board meetings now. And I get paid a lot of money to do a one year of one day board meeting. And I'm thinking, this is why every single day for you know, 180 days as a teacher, I didn't get paid. It's, it's, it's an art, like all the things you're doing and teaching teachers are so amazing, right? They have so many skills. And so again, like going within yourself and asking, what is it that I really want to do? Is it trying something like totally different, or… I always thought I'd be a corporate trainer, I don't know why I thought that I never actually did that. But that's like a real simple, you know, because I got all these corporate training meetings, and they're so bad. We're playing person talking three hours, everyone takes notes. And I'm like, gosh, so much better, you know. So I don't think I don't think we really give ourselves enough credit as teachers to how many amazing transferable skills we have. And it's scary, and it might not transfer on the resume. But you can find somebody that will, you know, take a chance on you or whatever. But yeah, there are so I could go on and on and on about the skills that you have as a teacher, and my mentor who is amazing. She always said, everything you need to know about leadership, just think about what you did as a teacher. And I'm like, so every time I'm confused about like, oh, what should I do in this moment as a leader? I'm like, Oh, right. I need to have a courageous conversation, just like when the kid didn't turn in his project. And I sat him down, and I said, Hey, I believe in you. And you're just really not doing a good job. But you're not working very hard. So what's going on? Oh, well, my mom, my dad did, okay, let's have a courageous conversation. Let me be honest with you. And now you're going to turn in the project tomorrow. It's like, same thing when you have a person that's reporting to you, and you're and you're not being honest with them. And so I can tell 100 stories about different things I've done as a leader and as executive and CEO and founder that I did when I was a teacher that I learned as a teacher.
Lily Jones
That's great advice. And I think that for teachers, just even taking a chance to reflect on those things that you've learned, like, what are your skills that and I love that idea of like, just going back to the classroom, you know, imagine your imagination, when you need it can be a guide of both stories you told, you know, giving that advice that you might give to a kid or how you would handle something with a kid. And then also seeing yourself in a situation and using your skills. But using that as a tool of like what you've learned in the classroom, really having it help you move forward.
David K. Richards
Yeah, and it's, I mean, think about teachers and how many things they can do. And they do it all by themselves. That's the only thing that really makes me laugh is when I was in the corporate banking, where like, everybody had an assistant, and, you know, four different people doing this thing and that thing, and I'm like, but you realize that teachers do everything? Like they come up with, they make the spreadsheet, they create the lesson plan, they make the copies, they put the name tags on the tables, they deal with the crying kid, they deal with the conflict, they you know, in the moment they like, Well, yeah, we might have teachers system, but most people don't, you might get a student teacher, but for the most part, you are literally a total generalist that is masterful at doing so many things all at once and doing them really well. And so, yes, prefer other career, other careers and other places, other companies or employers, they're looking for somebody like that. So if you're a teacher, you already got that. Got it down.
Lily Jones
Yes, absolutely. Well, David, it's been so great talking with you. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing with our audience. Can you tell people where they can connect with you?
David K. Richards
Yeah, it's really simple. Davidkrichards.com, is my website and then you can email me at David at Davidkrichards.com. So everything's on their micro school links and all the things I'm working on. That's easiest way to find me.
Lily Jones
Wonderful. Well, thanks again.
David K. Richards
Thanks, Lily.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai