An Interview with Emily Cremidis

In this interview, get to know Emily Cremidis, who serves a Senior Manager of Educational Partnerships in Northern California.

Emily, please tell us a little about your background as an educator. What did you do before you joined Collaborative Classroom?

I am a proud third-generation educator. There was rarely a trip to the mall when I, as a little girl, didn’t have someone share a recollection from Gram’s or Mom’s classroom. It was clear that teachers made a difference. I wanted to make a similar contribution in my community. 

I am a proud third-generation educator. There was rarely a trip to the mall when I, as a little girl, didn’t have someone share a recollection from Gram’s or Mom’s classroom. It was clear that teachers made a difference.

Immediately following graduation from Bucknell, I was subbing in the district from which I’d graduated and I taught third grade there the following year. That was a magical year filled with lots of knowledge building, roller skating parties, music, the poetry of Shel Silverstein, and special field trips. I am still connected to those students as well as many from my subsequent classes. 

Since then I have served in many roles in education, including seven years as an elementary school principal and as a mom to two little boys. Each role, whether after-school teacher or school administrator, helps me to better serve the educators I support now.

How did you find out about Collaborative Classroom and the Senior Manager of Educational Partnerships role?

In my first year as school leader, the district’s counselors prioritized Caring School Community for adoption. The educative materials from this CASEL SELect program coupled with the support of our knowledgeable and pragmatic consultant helped us converge on powerful strategies that positively impacted our whole school.

At the same time, our school’s Reading Specialist and Resource Support Program teachers were using SIPPS to impart word recognition skills to our students. Both programs made a difference for Valley Vista’s teachers, students, and families.

When I was ready for a career change in 2015, our Reading Specialist presented me with an email she’d printed out. It was Collaborative Classroom’s job description for what would become the manager of educational partnerships role. It talked about coming alongside educators in their selection and implementation of CC’s programs. Tammy said that the description sounded like me.  

Collaborative Classroom is a mission-driven nonprofit. What about our mission drew you to the organization? What’s your “why” for joining Collaborative Classroom?

My experience with Caring School Community, SIPPS, and Collaborative Classroom’s exceptional consultant cadre drew me to organization. 

Now that I’m on the inside, I know why I was so impressed with the employees. Collaborative Classroom lives its name. We are strengthened by each other and it is all for the benefit of the educators and students we serve.  

What’s your favorite part of your role as a Senior Manager of Educational Partnerships?

I really enjoy coming alongside districts as they plan and enact initiatives that bring literacy, social skills, and social-emotional learning to students and teachers. 

I really enjoy coming alongside districts as they plan and enact initiatives that bring literacy, social skills, and social-emotional learning to students and teachers. 

As a principal, I felt very siloed. As a Senior Manager of Educational Partnerships, I get to learn from a variety of districts and to share best practices with others. I call it “cross-pollination.” 

What are some other projects or passions in your career? 

I have really enjoyed working with pre-service teachers through Dominican University and University of San Francisco.

As adjunct faculty, I have been able to share with my students much of what I’ve learned from Collaborative Classroom or come to prioritize about teaching and learning as a result of my work for our organization.  Conversations about reimagining discipline have been very eye-opening for prospective teachers.

In your role, you get to spend time in lots of different classrooms. What is something exciting or inspiring that you’re seeing out there in schools right now?

We know that differentiated small-group instruction is the best way to meet many of students’ foundational reading skill needs. I am seeing elementary schools get very creative about scheduling and staffing in order to make this happen.

One final question: Reflecting on your own lived experiences as a teacher or as a student, what was one experience that was particularly memorable or impactful for you?

I have learned with and from so many wonderful teachers, including Mom and Gram.

Right now, I am thinking about graduate school and Professor Lee Title. In his class, we analyzed our own leadership failures in groups of four. The work was reflective, vulnerable, and tremendously impactful. One of my group members, Elise, became a very close friend.  We continue to be candid thought partners to each other all these years later.

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Visit our Field Team page to meet our other Managers of Educational Partnerships.