Sarah Lukas and Carla Sparks
meet: sarah and carla
Authors of
Dr. Sarah Lukas
After several years of teaching middle school social studies, Dr. Sarah Lukas began serving in leadership roles, including an instructional coach and school district administrator. Sarah earned her doctorate in 2020 from National Louis University, where she was fortunate to be paired with Dr. Carla Sparks as her dissertation chair. She currently serves as a school administrator in a large public school district and as an adjunct professor for National Louis University. Her educational and professional interests include leadership development, scholarly writing, and reading instruction. Sarah lives in Florida with her husband, Daniel.
Dr. Carla Sparks
Dr. Carla Sparks spent more than 30 years in K-12 public education, the last 10 years of which she served as a district administrator in one of the largest public school districts in America. Carla is a “double alum” of National Louis University, where she earned her Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction and her Doctor of Education degree in Educational
Leadership. She currently serves as the Faculty Lead for Educational Leadership Programs at the Florida Regional Center of National Louis University. Her professional interests are in change leadership, project-based learning, graduation by exhibition of mastery, and differentiated instructional practices. Carla lives in Florida with her husband, Vance, adult children, and grandchildren.
Affirming Advice for Your Leadership Journey
Serving in a leadership role can be rewarding and exhilarating but not always easy. You may find yourself in situations where you need guidance – perhaps to get out of a negative situation or handle the challenges of leadership. Dr. Sarah Lukas and Dr. Carla Sparks have been there and want to help you through these potentially difficult moments in your leadership journey and help you find the positive outcomes that may be just around the corner.
This book is divided into three sections, each with a focus to help you reach that positive
outcome:
● Protecting Your Peace
● Leading Others
● Avoiding Toxic Behavior
Whether you are walking into your first day as a leader or are a seasoned veteran of leadership roles, Be the Manatee offers warm advice and relatable stories to help any leader keep moving forward. Journaling sections allow you the space to process and reflect so you feel empowered to take your next steps.
