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CHAPTER 35 – “The Decision”
Jordan knocked on the open door.
Mark looked up, eyebrows raised. “Hey there. Come on in.”
She stepped into his office — calm, steady — and took the chair across from him. The same weird energy from before still hung in the air. He was sipping coffee. Waiting.
She didn’t fumble.
“I’ve thought a lot about your offer,” she began. “And I’m honored. Truly.”
Mark nodded. “It’s well deserved.”
“I know it might not make sense on paper,” she said, pausing. “But I’m staying.”
His face didn’t change. But his silence said enough.
Jordan kept going. “This isn’t fear talking. It’s alignment. We’ve built something at Franklin that’s finally starting to breathe. I’m not done yet.”
She could feel her heart rate spike — but only slightly. It wasn’t like the early days, when she’d say yes just to prove she belonged. When her calendar was packed and her vision buried under everyone else’s urgency.
Back then, she chased meaning by collecting obligations.
Now? She created meaning by protecting her purpose.
Mark shifted in his chair. “You sure?”
“I am.”
She stood. Then paused.
“One more thing,” she added, reaching into her bag and pulling out a crisp manila folder. “I put in a proposal to present at the National Leadership Conference this spring. A talk called Ruckus Makers Do School Different. I’m going to share what we’ve been doing here.”
Mark took the folder, glanced at the title, then back at her.
“And,” Jordan added, “I’ve got an idea for a PD series. Something I can offer informally to other principals — Evan, especially. I think it might help.”
Mark nodded slowly. “So you’re staying … but still reaching.”
Jordan smiled. “Exactly. I’m not shrinking. I’m focusing.”
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