Occupation: Principal of BASIS Baton Rouge–Materra
Wife: Brenna
Children: Ethan, 8; Olivia, 5; and Evelyn, 4
Hobbies: Avid runner and social media

As principal of BASIS Baton Rouge–Materra, Jared Lamb is known for going viral due to trading out his traditional office for a rolling cart so he could better celebrate his staff and prioritize his students. His unique approach has proven to set up the students, teachers, and staff for success. At home, Jared is just as hands-on, celebrating his children and guiding them through the ups and downs so they can be successful, too.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE EDUCATION?
JARED: I have two parents who are both lifelong educators. My mom was an elementary school teacher, and my dad was a high school English teacher. I grew up going to my mom’s classroom over the summer when she was preparing her class, so I grew up as the child of two educators. I think that’s what turned me on to education.

YOU’VE BEEN A PRINCIPAL FOR 15 YEARS. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE FIELD?
JARED: I think education is in a tough place right now, because I think that some of the challenges associated with COVID really put more pressure on our educators, where educators had to go above and beyond, so it was beyond just educating students. Now, teachers are playing the role of nurse, of being a social worker, and doing all of these added responsibilities. I think that’s created more challenges, and just the challenge associated with students being out of school and then returning to school has created more pressure. One of the things that I want to really make sure of is that on my campus, we get back to the positivity in the work. I love doing the work. I work with great teachers, and I work with amazing students, so just creating an environment where it’s positive, where students are excited to come to school, and where teachers are excited to come into work. If you look at the national data, there’s so much around teachers leaving the profession, and I’m excited to flip that script and create an environment where people want to be long-term.

CAN YOU SHARE THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING YOURSELF ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR STUDENTS AND STAFF?
JARED: I think my role as an administrator is really all about teacher-and-student customer service, and so, I want to be present. I want to be visible. I want to support the needs of our teachers and our students. Our teachers are coming in and they’re giving all they have to this work, so I believe that they need to be well supported. Whether that support means them being able to step out for a restroom break, or, you know, me dropping off some copies that they need picked up from the copy machine. Support can look like a whole bunch of different things, but making sure that they have what they need to do their best work is essential.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY?
JARED: One of my favorite parts of the day is morning arrival. I love getting able to greet students in the mornings, give high fives and fist bumps to students, and let the students know that I’m happy that they’re there. Also, just getting that morning check-in with teachers, asking them what support they need, and setting them up for a successful start to the day.

WHAT’S A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC IN YOUR WORK AND PARENTING?
JARED: As a parent and as an educator, you are always on stage. You’re always modeling for students at all times. During my work day, when I’m in principal mode, there is no downtime. I’m out, I’m rolling around my cart, I’m supporting teachers and students, I’m responding to whatever the needs of my campus may be. And the same is true for parenting. Even when I get home in the evenings when I’m tired, there’s no time off. When my kids have a need, I’m constantly in a state of responding and working to set my own children up for success, too.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO AS A FAMILY?
JARED: We love to go swimming. We love taking family trips together. We are big sports fans, so we enjoy watching sports together and cheering on our favorite teams. We have a dog so we love going on family walks with our dog, but generally, when we’re not working or at school, we’re just spending time together as a family.

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN ALIKE?
JARED: Each of my children has very distinct personalities. Ethan is a fierce competitor. I was an athlete through college and so he definitely has that competitive spirit. Olivia is my middle child. She probably resembles me the most. She’s definitely our most social, and she’s a people person. Evelyn is our four-year-old. She’s absolutely hilarious. I love to joke and I love to laugh, and she’s ready to go and start her own comedy routine.

WHAT HAVE YOUR CHILDREN TAUGHT YOU?
JARED: My children have taught me about resilience. They will bounce back from anything, whatever challenges they face. Whatever trials and tribulations happen over the course of the day, they come back strong. They come back fully charged up that next day and ready to go, and I try to model the same resilience that they show me each and every day.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DATE NIGHT WITH YOUR WIFE?
JARED: We love movie night. It is nice to go and catch a movie, relax, and turn off work mode and parent mode.

WHAT IS ONE OF THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL PARENTING?
JARED: I think a key to being a successful parent is just being present. I definitely have days when that can be a challenge, where I’m exhausted or something work-related comes up in the evening, but I really try my best to find time to be present daily. I know how important that is to them. Even on my most stressful days, I try to make sure that I can be fully present. I put the phone down and just be there for them.

ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER PARENTS?
JARED: One of the things that my children appreciate is providing them with positive affirmations. As a parent, there are times when you have to constantly correct your children and coach them along the way, and I know I find myself sometimes forgetting to affirm the greatness that they bring. So I’ve made that a routine around bedtime, where I share something positive with them. I’ll tell one of my kids, I love the effort that you’re putting in on the swim team; you’ve made such amazing progress as a swimmer, and I’m so proud of you. I think it goes a long way with my children, and it’s something that I really try to carve out time for daily.

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING EDUCATORS?
JARED: Educators have the opportunity to do life-changing work, and in many cases, change student trajectories in the lives of individuals, and so, for anyone who is aspiring to be an educator, I highly recommend it. I believe that as a principal, I have the best job in the world. And getting to work around young people, getting to inspire our youth, is some of the most fun work on this planet.

QUICK Q&A
I can’t stop watching…House.
I love singing along to…the theme song of Peppa Pig.
I always feel my best when I…get to spend time with my family.
My favorite food is…steak.
My favorite holiday is…Thanksgiving.
My favorite book is…I Know This Much is True, and my dad is the author.
My guilty pleasure is…cheering on the Saints, win or lose.