*Superintendent’s Secretary*
By: BHS Staff Profiles
January 20, 2023
Chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Laura Baker. For the past 20 years, Mrs. Baker has worked in the Brooklyn City School District in various roles. Currently, she is working as the Superintendent’s Secretary. Prior to working in this district, she worked at the YMCA as a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons to younger kids. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her two dogs, reading, going to the Metroparks, and visiting the Cleveland Zoo. Something you might not know about Mrs. Baker is that she actually attended Brooklyn High School and was also a majorette in the marching band.
Q: What are some of the most important jobs that you have throughout the day?
A: “I’m a secretary to the superintendent, so that entails a lot of different things. I wear many hats throughout the day, depending on what is needed from administration. One of the big things I do is I register new students, so anyone moving in through the district is through me.”
Q: What are some of your favorite aspects about working in the Brooklyn City School District?
A: “I live in Brooklyn, and the school is a vital part of the community. I love that I’m a part of that. It was something that I always thought of before I was even employed here. We are a small community, and I love to be a part of that. I also like that we are a smaller school as well, so you really get to know everybody and make lasting relationships.”
Q: How do you keep yourself organized?
A: “I use stenopads, and I write all of my notes in there in order to prioritize. There are three other secretaries here, so in a sense, three more bosses. They can usually tell me what they need done, and I can jot it down quickly on my notepad. I can’t live without it. I also use my google calendar and post-it notes a lot. I have post-it notes everywhere!”
Q: How do you stay busy during the day?
A: “I don’t know how I can’t be busy. It’s the board office, so there is always work to do. A lot of visitors come here. We have the main phone line in there and four other administrators. There’s always something happening here; I’m never not busy.”
Q: If you could make one change to the Brooklyn City School District, what would it be?
A: “There are so many great things happening in our school, and I truly believe that. I think we’re always striving to be the best we can be and always trying to improve on what we have done in the past. Due to that, I’m not sure that I would change anything. But in a dream world, I would add a Starbucks to the campus!”
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: ”My family, my co-workers, and the students. I love to see the students. I don’t get to interact with them a lot because I work in the Board Office. So I love it when I get the chance to see them. Sometimes, the teachers in the preschool bring the kids up here for a little break, and we get to say hello and see how their day is going. I also love to read articles from the school newspaper to see how students are excelling and see how they are doing in school. So, that’s always fun and motivating.”
Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?
A:”When someone is inconsiderate of another person’s feelings.”
Q: If you were stranded on an island and you could only bring three items, what would you bring with you?
A: “I kind of cheated in my answer, and this was thought-through very thoroughly. I would bring a fully charged cell phone, a helicopter with a full tank of gas, and a pilot to get me off the island.”
Q: If you could visit another planet, where would you go?
A: “I would never travel to a different planet. I would be scared to death! I don’t even like flying in a plane, so I would never go in a spaceship to a different planet.”
Q: What makes you the most happy?
A: “Spending time with my family.”
Thank you for allowing us to interview you, Mrs. Baker. It is an honor to have someone like you representing our school district.
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 