These four women are celebrating over 90 collective years as DCPS principals

WASHINGTON — Four DC Public Schools principals are honoring their combined 90-plus years of service in that role as they continue to empower each other this Women's History Month.

Grace Reid, Maria Tukeva, Holly Searl, and Anita Berger all met up one Friday morning at Principal Berger's school -- Benjamin Banneker Academic High School.

Berger has served at the helm there for 20 years.

"I'm just doing what I love, you know, not doing it for recognition," she said.

Her colleagues agreed as they reflected on a similar amount of time spent leading their respective schools -- Reid at Barnard Elementary School for 15 years, Tukeva at Columbia Heights Education Campus (which she founded) for 41 years, and Searl at Ross Elementary School for 15 years.

Their total years in education, though, adds up to 173, with Berger clocking in at 45, Reid at 48, Searl at 36, and Tukeva at 44.

Berger even earned the DC Principal of the Year in 2017.

“I think about them as, you know, the Mount Rushmore of school leaders in DCPS," DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis Ferebee said. "They are truly a network, and they've been advisors for me as well, as the leader of this system. It's great to just have people that you can lean on like this."

They lean on each other, too.

“Maria has been my go to person," Berger said. "We have this thing that we will survive, and so when we're feeling kind of down she'll call me or I'll call her and say we got this.”

Calls like those have been racking up recently, as the Department of Education faces continued upheaval. 

“I'm really nervous," Berger said. "I am interested in whether or not my kids eat free. Whether or not my kids have the services."

Reid echoed her concern, recalling essential services the federal government has provided, which her students on which her community relies.

“I've seen kids come in and wrap some of their lunch to take home for a sibling," she said tearing up. "I cannot imagine taking that away from the kids."

All four agree the kids have always been and will continue to remain their priority.

"Just making sure that kids, no matter where they are in their phase of development, that they feel that sense of belonging in our school and feel like they're being developed in some important way," Searl said.

That mission fuels their drive to return to their schools year after year.

"I would say the students definitely, and also I think different obstacles that we've overcome [fuel me]," Tukeva said.

Each principal has now started to see kids they taught or lead drop off their own students at school.

"I think every school has a unique mission and personality, and I always try to build on that by having the mission centered in everything we do," Tukeva said. "We really focus on multiculturalism, and we focus on the idea of student voice and really listening to students, and I guess the best way to leave a legacy is to leave people that believe in that, so I've tried over the years to hire alumni, and we have hired over 25 of our alumni in different positions."

"When you look at the impact across the board with kids who are now sending their children to us there at the school and coming back as employees, it's amazing and it motivates you to keep on going," Reid said.

They have each come a long way over the years.

"What would I tell young Berger 20 years ago," Berger reflected. "Probably tell her that continue to do what she loves, and when she stops loving it stop...I still love it!"

Loving it doesn't mean the job comes without challenges.

"There are just not enough hours in the day, right, to do everything we want to do, because we want to do everything for our kids, right?" Searl said. "We want to offer them rigorous academic challenges. We want to offer them a wide variety of enrichment, you know, so that they have the arts and the athletics and kind of developing hobbies."

She and Berger agreed that they've had to make tough and sometimes unpopular calls over the years, but said they always try to center the student in their decision-making.

"If it wouldn't be good enough for my own children, it's not good enough for any child in this building, and so that is really such a great lens, you know, when we have to make those decisions," Searl said. "People are not gonna be happy with us all the time for everything, but if I always remember to look through that to the children we're serving, then it makes it really easy to make the right decision for kids."

They all laughed, reminiscing on some of their favorite moments over the last couple decades.

"A favorite part is when a student gets a full ride to a college, and this time of year is when that happens -- when we hear about that," Tukeva said. "And that also that really brings tears to my eyes to just see the joy of the families and the student when they realize their entire college education is going to be paid for."

Berger loves hearing from kids after graduation.

"I actually had a girl text me and apologize. She said you gave me a hard time, but now I understand," she said. "So those are the reasons why, you know, when I think about the 20 years and get those kind of texts and and messaging and thank yous and -- you don't see it immediately. It's not immediate, you know, gratification. You see it later, um, like the 7 who are teaching here right now,"

As they find inspiration each other, they hope to inspire the next generation of educators, too.