Erin Blair is one of the longest-serving educators at Cross Creek Charter Academy and an example of what happens when passion, purpose and relationships come together.
“I started midyear as a paraprofessional because there weren’t any openings,” Erin said. “The following year, I interviewed for a second-grade position, and I’ve never left.”
Why Second Grade Matters
Ask Erin why she’s stayed in second grade for nearly three decades, and her answer comes easily.
“They’re still so lovable,” she said. “They want connection. They want hugs. But they’re also at that turning point where they’re becoming real writers and readers. That’s my passion.”
Second grade is where Erin believes relationships matter most.
“I’m huge into relationships,” she said. “That’s always been the heart of why I stay.”
Erin remembers her early years at Cross Creek as a place that felt more like family than coworkers.
“We were young, fresh out of college, learning together, making mistakes together and growing together,” she said.
Many of those early colleagues have since moved on, but Erin remains and is now often recognized as the last of the “originals” at Cross Creek.
What’s kept her there?
“It’s the kids,” she said. “I have eighth graders and high schoolers come back to see me. I run into former students at basketball games and their huge, taller than me and they still remember their second-grade teacher.”
Those moments, she said, never get old.
Erin makes sure to instill a sense of belonging with her students from the beginning of the year.
“We’re a family for nine months,” Erin said. “And sometimes, for life.”
Photos of current and former students line the walls. Ensuring that every child knows they belong in her classroom.
Living the Moral Focus™
Erin credits much of NHA’s long-term success to its Moral Focus curriculum, something she has championed since the beginning.
“You don’t really teach it,” she said. “You live it. And that’s teaching it.”
For Erin, Moral Focus isn’t a lesson on a schedule, it’s modeled daily through respect, self-control and responsibility. She’s served on the school’s Moral Focus committee for nearly three decades and chaired it for more than a dozen years.
“I’ve loved watching kids take those values home,” she said. “Hearing them say, ‘I told my brother that wasn’t kind,’ or ‘I shared this with my family.’ That’s when you know it’s working.”
Looking Ahead
As Erin reflects on NHA’s next 30 years, she hopes to see continued growth in inclusive practices while building on the strong foundation already in place. “I love the direction we’re going with our reading, math, Moral Focus,” she said. “But my dream is that we continue to find ways to serve more learners inclusively.”
It’s a vision driven by the same compassion that has guided her career from the start.
Fun Fact: She has a Classroom Full of Frogs
And then there are the frogs.
What began as a simple bulletin board theme early in Erin’s career turned into a decades-long tradition. Today, her classroom is filled with frog gifts from students past and present.
“I didn’t choose frogs,” she laughed. “They chose me.”
After teaching more than 700 students, Erin says she still can’t imagine doing anything else.
“It always comes back to the relationships. That’s why I stay.”
Congratulations on 38 years Erin!
About Cross Creek Charter Academy
Cross Creek Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Byron Center, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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