Giving Compass' Take:

• Chalkbeat's "How I Lead" series profiles the principal of Chicago’s Sullivan High School, Chad Adams, who emphasizes the importance of listening to staff and caring for them.

• What can those in the education funding sector learn from Adams' example? How can we embed empathy and feedback in a more meaningful way in our work?

• Here's why it's necessary to include teachers in school redesigns.

Chad Adams’ mentor once told him, “If you don’t feed the teachers they’ll eat the kids.” That’s not at all a knock on teachers. Instead, the principal of Chicago’s Sullivan High School in Rogers Park recalls the advice as a reminder to pay attention to and care for his staff.

“If you listen to them to understand them, they will clearly articulate what their needs are,” Adams said.

Chalkbeat recently caught up with the principal, who oversees one of the most diverse high schools in Chicago. He talked about his education in Mississippi, lessons he’s learned, and what outside forces affect the 660 students who attend his school.

"A lot of our kids have come from some pretty horrible situations whether it be refugee camps in war-torn countries to families ripped apart by violence or drugs," said Adams. "The amazing thing is the resiliency of kids. They keep on getting up every morning with hope, and if Sullivan can provide more and more hope for children in the darkest corners of this world then I have done my job."

Read the full article about the importance of caring for teachers by Yana Kunichoff at Chalkbeat.