Meet Rosette Costello Principal, Peralta Elementary Oakland Unified School District

Briefly describe your journey from teacher to Principal. Why did you want to become a school leader? Truthfully, I did not want to become a school leader. I loved the classroom, respected the absolute complexity and challenge of teaching and had little confidence in leadership.

What made you decide to become a Principal in OUSD? At every school, and I worked in all areas of Oakland, I reflexively found myself in leadership roles and was challenged by a mentor to “just get your own school.” I avoided that advice for some time!

How would you best describe your role as Principal of your school? My primary role is to support a community of collaborative learning leaders.

What gets you most excited each day to be Principal at your school? As an artist, the thrill of a blank canvas, making your marks, balancing colors, forms, movement - all toward building a cohesive wholeness that reflects and conveys meaning to others, is so incredibly complex and vital. The only other effort I have found that matches and frequently exceeds that complexity, thrill and vitality is being a part of a learning community.

What is your biggest accomplishment as a Principal in OUSD?

I guess I should say all the awards are accomplishments, because if I don’t folks are going to grill me on why I didn’t- so here are some of the awards: Multiple Title 1, early recognition for being one of 6 Title 1 schools in the state where African American students exceeded 800 API, Alameda County Arts Anchor School, California Distinguished School Awards and National Blue Ribbon Award. In my heart, though, my biggest accomplishment is having the opportunity to recognize how important it is to me to have the opportunity to share learning with other colleagues at the site and create a school-place that holds all of as precious. Oakland has extraordinary school-based staff and I am honored to share that space.

What advice do you give students and parents when they first arrive at your school?

No advice. I welcome them. For students, I tell them that Peralta Is Our Name and Learning Is Our Game and we learn together here. For families, I tell them they are essential partners and I am honored to have their support “keeping this little ship afloat.”