Amy Klaber

I attribute my success to the strong mentorship I received early in my career. My band director saw something in me when I was a quiet kid and encouraged me to step into leadership as drum major, then guided me toward music education. Throughout my journey, people kept approaching me with opportunities even when I wasn't seeing leadership potential in myself, and I learned to say yes and trust their guidance. My principal during my master's program encouraged me to become a curriculum resource teacher when I questioned whether it was right for me, and that turned into 7 years of honing my craft. Being selected for the Florida Turnaround Leaders program by the state gave me specialized training that shaped my approach to school leadership. I've also learned that leadership just comes to me - I never seek it out, things just come, and I'm guided to say yes. The key has been staying open to learning and growing every day, because if I walk into my job and I'm not learning, growing, and challenging thinking, then I've either lost my touch or I'm not here for the right reasons. My goal is always to continue to grow and learn, because you don't know what you don't know.

The best career advice came from my early mentors who encouraged me to step into roles I didn't initially see myself in. My band director encouraged me to pursue music education when I was a quiet kid, which set me on this entire path. Later, my principal encouraged me to become a curriculum resource teacher when I questioned whether it was right for me, telling me she really believed it was for me. That taught me to trust when others see potential in you, even when you're not seeing it in yourself. The pattern throughout my career has been people approaching me with opportunities and encouraging me to say yes, and I've learned that when someone asks you to do something you don't believe you could do, you should do it. Typically, it's because things happen for a reason, and you should be up for the challenge. It's scary to say yes sometimes, but that willingness to trust others' belief in you and challenge yourself has been transformative.

Know your boundaries, but don't be scared to challenge yourself and say yes. I used to run a young women's program through Cornell Cooperative Extension up in New York, where I wrote a curriculum for middle school girls who were struggling with connections or making poor choices. We did week-long sessions out in the woods in a camp environment, and it was all about finding yourself, building self-esteem, and knowing your self-worth. There's something to be said about boundaries, but there's also something to be said about pushing yourself. If someone is asking you to do something that you don't believe you could do, do it. Typically, it's because things happen for a reason, and you should be up for the challenge. It's scary to say yes sometimes, but that's where the growth happens. Throughout my career, people kept approaching me with leadership opportunities even when I wasn't seeing it in myself, and learning to say yes to those challenges has been key to my success.

Amy identified the increasing complexity of educational leadership, burnout, and the evolving demands placed on schools as key challenges in the field. At the same time, she sees strong opportunities in leadership development, school turnaround initiatives, and innovative approaches to matching educators with roles that align with their strengths. The growing emphasis on student access, community partnerships, and leadership pipelines presents meaningful opportunities to shape the future of education at scale.

The most important value to me is matching people with their passions and helping them find where they can be most impactful. Whether it's students working toward their goals, parents wanting what's best for their kids, or staff members who have a passion to teach or run certain programs, I believe that when you put a human in a place where they want to be, they're going to show you that's the best place they can be. It's a win-win. I also value continuous learning and growth - if I walk into my job and I'm not learning, growing, challenging thinking, and growing systems, then I've either lost my touch or I'm not here for the right reasons. My goal is always to continue to grow and learn, because you don't know what you don't know. In my personal life, family is my number one priority. I love unplugging and spending time with my family. We live near downtown Winter Garden and love to go on bike rides on the trail near our neighborhood, go have lunch downtown, spend time at the farmer's market, and visit Disney. These personal interests provide balance to my demanding leadership responsibilities.