John Polk is Matchbook Learning's new COO.  John's background has spanned school turnarounds, charter schools and school operations.  After several years working with charter schools in a Director of Operations capacity, John decided to plunge inside a couple of schools in need of a turnaround to understand school operations and school culture from the inside, working closely with the Principals as a member of the schools' leadership teams.  This "inside-outside" experience provides John with a unique vantage point of how to both design and implement transformative strategies for schools seeking to turnaround.  We sat down with John to hear what he's most looking forward to in his role with Matchbook Learning.

What would you describe as the biggest challenge of being our Chief Operating Officer?

The biggest challenge for any COO, in a growing organization, is to help create and execute a scalable and sustainable model of expansion.  How do we continue to reach underserved communities across the nation while delivering a high quality program? This is the biggest challenge I foresee and one that I am excited to address.

 What are your goals for this next year?

Fiscal strength, operational effectiveness and helping to build and execute our turnaround model are my key goals for this next year.

What are the keys to accomplishing a school turnaround?

Mindset, great talent and problem solving/execution are keys to accomplishing a school turnaround.  You must believe that “every” child, no matter their circumstance or disability, has the capability and capacity to succeed.  In addition, you must recruit, develop and retain great talent. People make the difference! Finally, you must be able to problem solve and fix problems that have not been properly addressed in the past.

What most attracted you to this position?

The ability to positively impact student lives on a nationwide level.

How would you describe your most unique accomplishment to date?

Crisis management is not an area I intentionally sought to develop but it is one that I have honed over the past several years. Understanding that many times you are forced to deal with things that are outside of your control as it relates to managing a school (Student injury/death, parent conflicts, community needs, facility emergencies, etc.) I have become effective in dealing with sometimes very difficult moments and situations.

Why should gifted educators -- principals and teachers -- consider working for a Matchbook school?

The Matchbook Learning model gives clarity and purpose in how instructors teach and how students learn.  Matchbook Learning becomes a beacon of light and promise for all educators who want to close the achievement gap in our most underserved communities.

What are your expectations a year from now?  How will you be different?

My expectation a year from now is that we are well into our expansion strategy.  In a year from now, I believe I will be humbled by the awesome work we are doing but gain enormous perspective as it relates to how much more work can be done.