*Brooklyn School Principal*
By: BHS Staff Profiles
September 19, 2025
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Dr. Janet Kubasak. This is currently Dr. Kubasak’s first year in Brooklyn. Previously, she taught special education in Lorain, was an instructional coach, worked for the state support region, played a role in the Ohio improvement process and strategic planning, and then became a principal in Wellington. When free, she enjoys spending time with family, reading books, going to the beach, and swimming in her pool. A fun fact about Dr. Kubasak is that she is really good at doing hair and loves to try fun hairstyles.
Q: What is your vision for our school’s future, and how do you plan to achieve it?
A: “I would say that my vision is to ensure that we equip every single child who walks through the door with the necessary tools in their tool box to be highly successful in whatever path they choose. I think the way we can achieve that is through focusing on the whole child using strong decision making and supporting one another in professional growth, which will help our kids grow.”
Q: Describe a time you had to adapt to a significant change within a school environment.
A: “It would have to be Covid. Going from in-person learning to online and hybrid, only a couple days a week, and social distancing especially around the littles because they are huggers. Another thing was not being able to show mouth placement because of wearing masks, the way we work with phonemic awareness and phonics when we cannot see someone’s face. There were a lot of changes that went on that we really had to adapt to ensure that our kids were still successful during that time.”
Q: What is your leadership style, and how does it benefit the school community?
A: “I feel that my style is servant leader. I really believe that my job is to remove barriers so our teachers can be successful with our students. We support, grow teachers, and staff to be the best educators that they can be. You do that through supporting so many aspects of educational knowledge and building their tool chest. Also, giving them the resources and materials that they need to be successful in their classroom and even in the way of being observant of how things are going and how you can support not only them but their students. I think that is really important as a servant leader. My goal is to ensure that their day is a little better everyday.”
Q: In your opinion, what is the most important part of being a principal?
A: “Loving your staff and students. I think having heart, granting grace, having high expectations, and supporting their growth to get people there. I think sometimes we have high expectations, but we do not talk to people about what they do to achieve those expectations, so it is important to have that clear communication. It is important to not only communicate clearly but also to support their granting grace moments because we all need those in life.”
Q: Describe your perfect day.
A: “The perfect day would be waking up before the sun gets up. A nice 80-90 degree day with the sun and an incredible book or a great podcast about what is coming down the pipe and education. Laying on the beach, listening, reading, and getting the sun sounds like the perfect day to me.”
Q: If you could live in any time period, when would it be?
A: “The Victorian Era just because I love dresses. I am sure it definitely has a pitbull but just that era of respect and dignity. It is the whole idea that even the way people interacted with each other was so respectful. I loved that and the dresses, clothes, hair, and there was so much to learn. Everyone was learning from each other and growing. It was a beautiful time period.”
Q: Do you have any favorite sports?
A: “Even though most do not consider it a sport, I love gymnastics. It was something that I did when I was younger. It takes a lot of perseverance, determination, and grit. I would say that it is definitely my sport. The amount of work that goes into being a gymnast is astronomical, and the discipline you have to have is incredible.”
Q: What is your life’s motto?
A: “In a while, when we are here in our time, our job is to grant grace because nothing is perfect, and we should never expect anyone to be. I am a firm believer in life that it is about loving one another and granting grace when it needs to be. Life is tough, and we all make mistakes. As long as you are learning from them, it is okay. I believe that your heart is everything, and you have to care about everyone you have encountered because you never know that moment could make the day better for somebody else.”
Thank you for letting us interview you, Dr. Kubasak. We wish you the best during your first year in Brooklyn and beyond. Welcome to Hurricane Nation!
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 