Thirteen years is long enough to know a network’s rhythms. Long enough to stop reinventing systems every August and start seeing patterns before they emerge. Long enough to recognize that the real work of teaching is in the space that opens up when logistics finally become second nature.
Christine Kennelly has spent seven of those years at DSST: College View High School, where she's proving what happens when a teacher reaches that threshold. In the 2024-25 school year, her students achieved a median growth percentile of 82.5 on the P/SAT, which is well above the 65 MGP that Colorado defines as "blue" – the highest performance level on the School Performance Framework. But if you ask Kennelly about that number, she won't start with test prep strategies or curriculum maps. She'll start with something more profound: mental capacity.
"Every day, teachers make thousands of decisions about instruction, culture and student needs," Kennelly explained. "Over time, many of these decisions become second nature because systems, routines and expectations are deeply internalized. This frees up cognitive space to focus on what matters most: student learning."
It's a shift that's invisible from the outside but transformative on the inside. After 13 years at DSST and seven at College View, Kennelly said she no longer spends energy reinventing classroom systems or learning new structures. Instead, she devotes her full attention to analyzing student data, responding to individual learning needs and developing the relationships that drive engagement and achievement.
"Longevity creates the conditions for teachers to shift from managing to truly mastering their craft," she said, "which directly translates into stronger outcomes for students."
For example, Kennelly recognized that College View had a long-term challenge with homework completion rates. But because she understood both the historical data and the behavioral systems already in place, she didn't start from scratch. She designed a targeted approach that built on existing supports, aligning her strategies with established structures for accountability and recognition.
As a result, homework completion jumped to more than 85% in the math department.
“Students got the consistent practice they needed to master rigorous content, and overall confidence in class rose as a result. The English department quickly adopted our systems to increase student performance as well,” Kennelly shared. "Historical context, and trial and error, provided the insight needed to connect past efforts with present priorities.”
That is the kind of work that only happens when a teacher has lived through multiple cycles, seen what works and what doesn't, and built the institutional memory to connect the dots. And it's not just about individual classrooms. Kennelly sees how teacher consistency strengthens the entire academic program.
"In our math department, when teachers remain in their roles over time, vertical alignment strengthens curriculum pacing, assessment structures and expectations become cohesive across grade levels," she said.
Where newer teachers might spend a lot of their time learning how to teach the content and navigate these systems, long-term teachers have internalized those structures, allowing them to focus on students as individuals. This helps teachers recognize misconceptions before they happen and adjust instruction on the spot. Their content knowledge also deepens and teachers can ask more thought-provoking questions.
"These richer questions drive curiosity and conceptual understanding," Kennelly said, "They are essential as we set goals around our students, particularly female students, developing a passion for mathematical thinking and exploring STEM careers for their futures.".
Over the years, Kennelly has felt that familiar tension between continuing to grow in the classroom or moving into administration.
"I believe lasting change in education happens when great teachers are supported to grow and to stay," she said. "When schools invest not only in pay but in purpose, through recognition, autonomy and growth opportunities, it strengthens both the teaching profession and the long-term outcomes for students who deserve experienced, deeply committed educators."
But the decision always comes back to the same truth.
"I find the deepest joy and purpose in teaching students every day, in watching their confidence grow and in helping other teachers strengthen their practice," she said. "The classroom is where I feel I make the most meaningful impact every day."
Thirteen years in, Christine Kennelly is living proof of that belief. She's mastered her craft, built systems that work and created the conditions for her students to thrive. And she's doing it all from the place she's always believed matters most: the classroom.