Preparing Kitsap Students for Work, College and Community
When North Kitsap School District Superintendent Rachel Davenport walks into a classroom, she doesn’t just see students learning math, science, or history. She sees future welders, nurses, software engineers, and small business owners. She sees the heartbeat of Kitsap’s economy—and the responsibility of public education to help shape it.
“School districts should be community assets,” Davenport said. “When we’re looking at revamping some of our CTE programs, things change, and education is no different. It’s a pendulum.”
As superintendent, Davenport is leading with a vision that places education at the center of economic development. She believes preparing young people for success—whether through college, technical training, or direct entry into the workforce—is one of the most powerful investments a community can make in its future.
From Navy Roots to Educational Leadership
Davenport’s path to the superintendent’s office is rooted in Kitsap County. The daughter of a Navy family, she grew up moving from duty station to duty station until her father’s final posting brought them to the region.
“Our family stayed here, as many families do, because it’s beautiful,” she said.
Though she once imagined life elsewhere, she returned after college. Teaching and coaching reconnected her to the community, and mentors encouraged her to step into leadership.
Her biggest role model was her father.
“I would say my dad was my role model. He was my best friend,” she said. “He talked about treating everybody with dignity and respect, because everybody has a place here in the world.”
At Bremerton High School, then-administrator Aaron Leavell told her, “Hey, you’re going to be an administrator.” That push changed her path.
“So he’s (her dad) had my biggest impact, and then professionally, it was Aaron Laavelle, just encouraging,” she recalled. “We all need people to encourage us. And so when I think of him reaching out and saying, you’re going to be department head and you’re going to be a building administrator and you’re going to do this, you know, it’s that coaching mindset, and I think he has that. And so my father was a coach. He was a coach.”
Another influential figure was longtime North Kitsap administrator the late Jeff Sweeney.
“He pushed both some colleagues of mine and me to be better administrators and to have that lens versus just trying to get to that next job,” she said.
Those lessons of respect, encouragement, and servant leadership shape her approach as superintendent.
Education as Economic Development
Davenport is candid about the evolving role of education in Kitsap County’s economy. For years, high schools were judged primarily on how many students they sent to four-year colleges. That narrow emphasis, she said, left gaps.
“We lost a lot of folks that were going into the workforce,” she said. “A lot of kids go straight into college, create this large debt, and then struggle to get back out of it. Now, we’re seeing students who are children of people who did that, and are still struggling.”
Today, she sees renewed focus on career and technical training, one that reflects the region’s workforce needs.
“We need HVAC techs, we need electricians,” she said. “I have friends in the county who have businesses that do just that, who need skilled workers, and that is where we are lacking.”
Her vision: students graduating not only with diplomas but also with certifications that prepare them for immediate employment in high-demand fields.
Building Pathways
That vision is taking shape through expanded Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, workforce partnerships, and certificate-based learning.
“My goal is to have certificate programs so that when students are leaving here, they’re not just leaving with a diploma, but with a certificate,” Davenport said.
Programs begin as early as fifth grade, with initiatives like “Medical Detectives,” where students dissect hearts and study anatomy. The pathway continues through high school and can connect to nursing and health programs at Olympic College.
Inclusivity is central to her approach. The district’s Bridge Program for 18- to 22-year-old students with different abilities blends life skills with community work.
“The students will go to Safeway, and some can help stock the shelves, some can bag groceries, and some are learning how to shop for themselves to try to live independently,” she said. “Just those small community partnerships, like allowing students to learn how to take a bus, that’s huge for somebody to have access to the YMCA or the grocery store if eventually they are living in a partner home or assisted living.”
Another popular initiative is the Odin Inn, a student-run restaurant at North Kitsap High School.
“I get really excited about the Odin Inn because I get to eat lunch there and they provide our cookies,” Davenport said.
The program feeds staff, students, and community members while giving students hands-on culinary and business experience.
Davenport is also focused on building partnerships with sovereign tribal nations. The district has begun talks with the Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish Tribes about possible programs in environmental science and fisheries.
“The environmental programs with the fisheries, that’s future casting,” she said. “So I really hope that we get that partnership with both the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes.”
Women Shaping Community Growth
Davenport’s leadership reflects a broader trend: women guiding the future of Kitsap education. She is active in the Washington Association of School Administrators and intentional about mentoring other women.
Her message to young women considering leadership roles is direct.
“You can do anything,” she said. “That would be the bottom line. We all have our struggles, and everybody’s struggles are different, but you can do anything.”
Her leadership style emphasizes collaboration.
“We have teachers who have their individual passions, and it’s so good that I don’t have to know everything, right? Because there are people that do, that make us a really good team,” she said.
By empowering others, Davenport ensures that the district’s progress is sustainable and community-driven.
Balancing Technology, Arts, and the Whole Child
As industries evolve, Davenport is determined that students will be ready—not only with technical expertise but also with creativity and adaptability. But technology changes rapidly.
“We cannot keep up with it,” she said. “When you look at how my generation was educated, our teachers truly were the keepers of the knowledge. Now, we need to be facilitators of learning and mentors to students.”
North Kitsap recently launched a three-year rollout plan for artificial intelligence in education, beginning with professional development for teachers.
“The entire day of professional learning was around AI use and the use of our program, MagicSchool,” she said.
She also stresses balance.
“Part of the whole child is expression,” she said. “Some people might have that love of math and become an engineer, some people also have that love for art and they become an artist.”
Her own love of painting reminds her that schools must serve both future STEM professionals and future artists.
Listening to Students, Serving the Community
Central to Davenport’s leadership is listening—especially to students.
“It’s creating the opportunities and listening to the students,” she said.
She also recognizes schools’ role in community vitality.
“Families will come back if there’s affordable housing and if there’s jobs that are needed in the area,” she said. “Our purpose should be, how do we create these community citizens and these global citizens that fill open roles that we have right now?”
For Davenport, schools don’t just serve families—they attract them, sustaining the workforce and economy.
A Vision for the Future
The most rewarding part of her role, Davenport said, is seeing learning in action.
“I get to be in every classroom in the district. I get to go building to building, and I get to see kids from preschool all the way up into 22 years old, learning from some of the most amazing people, the teachers in the room,” she said. “They’re engaging. Kids are smiling, laughing, and I get the ability to see it across a district where I know a lot of people. If you’re the teacher in the classroom, you get to see your kids, but I get to see all 5,400 of our kids, which is pretty incredible.”
Her call to business leaders is straightforward.
“If you are a business owner, come meet with us,” she said. “Reach out. We’d love to have conversations and partnerships. If we can help each other, I think that helps our community to thrive. It helps our children thrive.”
For Davenport, education is more than preparing students for tests or college applications. It is the foundation of Kitsap’s economic health, community growth, and long-term prosperity.
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