"It's a huge transition. They come in at 14 and they leave as adults."
Ninth Grade-Our Last Chance
I learned from experience that a successful ninth grade experience predicted future high school success. Conversely, I learned that when students struggled in ninth grade, they rarely graduated.
According to a recent report from the National High School Center, "the freshman year of high school is the “make or break” year that determines whether a student will graduate. Course performance and attendance during freshman year are among the “most powerful predictors” of student success, according to Developing Early Warning Systems to Identify Potential High School Dropouts.
Previous research has indicated that the biggest risk factor for failing ninth grade is a student’s absenteeism during the first 30 days of high school.
In addition, in 2005, the Consortium on Chicago School Research released the “on-track indicator” that combined two correlated risk factors that helped predict with a high degree of accuracy whether a student will drop out: course credits earned and course grades during freshman year."
Ninth grade has been referred to as a "make or break" year and a "rite of passage." Regardless of what we call ninth grade, it should be a focus of our efforts to improve student performance and increase graduation rates.
According to this report, ninth graders must face the following:
Overwhelmed - Most new ninth graders are unprepared for the sheer size of the of the high school compared to their middle school.
Bottom of the Food Chain - Another shock! Last year they were on top.
Navigating a larger campus
Changing classes
Facing more difficult course work - Their increase in difficulty of their new textbooks is even greater than the jump from high school to college.
Fitting in among older students - Many of the students are legally adults.
Hazing - "Fear of being tormented by older, bigger students" on "Freshman Friday."
"Fear of Abuse" - Fear of abuse goes beyond Freshman Friday. "Kids I see are really afraid of the gangs in school." "Some ... have changed schools because of this fear."
"Strict teachers" - "Get on your teacher's good side. A lot of high school teachers are a lot more strict. You don't want to be on their bad side the first week of school."
Questions
Do you know your at-risk ninth graders?
Are you going to wait for new ninth graders to emerge with problems, or are you going to get out in front of them?
My Tweet
9th Grade: "Nerve-wracking rite of passage" on 1st day of high school. sacbee.com http://t.co/vOlR7lN
by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader
Evaluation of teachers is one of the hottest topics in the world of education. The conversation ranges from how much testing should count, to finding ways of incorporating it into the pay scale. Everyone knows that what we have is not working and there is pressure to develop a new process that will work in the 21st century. Ironically, the solution for many of these concerns could be hiding in plain sight.
I am on an advisory board for a fledgling charter school. One of the tasks I was asked to perform was to formulate an evaluation policy. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, it was quickly apparent this undertaking was going to be quite daunting. However, a one-minute Google search revealed a surprising result.
No need to reinvent the wheel
The new evaluation procedures for the state of Virginia consume 87 pages. It is a marvelous program with teacher, administrator, student and parent input. It covers virtually every contingency possible in the assessment of a teacher’s performance. When read in its entirety it is an airtight document that should meet the needs of every educator. It will give meaningful feedback that will assist teachers to improve. Fairness and consistency will not be issues. It will clearly delineate the poor and strong members of a faculty.
I shared the document with a former colleague who was also on the committee. After reading it she said:
“There’s an awful lot of good in this. I only wish my evaluations had been done like the ones outlined here. Even though I consistently received superior ratings, I can honestly say that I have never learned one thing from an evaluation that made me a better teacher. The only time I gained anything like that was from just talking and watching other instructors. I so wanted someone, especially at the start of my teaching career, to come into my room and help me become a better teacher. This could have done that.”
Yes, those 87 pages describe a wonderful method for one of the most important activities in education. Ironically, the individual lamenting the shortcomings of her evaluations worked in a Virginia school district for 28 years. The coherent and clearly defined procedures described in that state’s plan never translated into any evaluation that ever took place in her classroom.
Words and actions are not always the same
I spent 40 years working in the same district and concur with her comments. The problem, however, is not in the official evaluation program. The actual reason so many teachers feel they are denied any benefit from the process is the manner in which it is implemented. Despite all of the rhetoric about the importance of accurately assessing the performance of teachers, the implementation within the schools themselves does not indicate that it is a high priority. Principals and administrators do not devote the time or resources necessary to utilize the plan outlined on the Virginia website.
The wrong people are evaluating
In many school systems the primary responsibility for evaluation rests on the Assistant Principal that supervises the department. Often this is not the best choice. For most people in this position assessing teacher performance has to be low on their daily “to-do” list. The typical AP does not have the time or resources to solicit student, teacher and community input into the two dozen formal evaluations they have been assigned. In addition, this particular individual may be ill-prepared to assess that diverse set of teachers. In forty years of evaluations I was never observed by an assistant principal who had taught high school math. In some cases it was an individual who had never taught any high school classes. Such limitations do not automatically preclude someone from being an excellent observer. But we should be asking if administrators, most of whom are already overburdened, are the best choice for evaluating teachers?
A professional evaluation requires a professional evaluator
What school districts need to do is hire and train employees for the specific purpose of evaluation. Their full-time job is the assessment of teachers in schools throughout the system. Only teachers with an outstanding record of classroom success, a strong desire to utilize that skill to improve others and a willingness to devote their career to that task should be selected. The training program should be thorough and ongoing. The assessment of the assessors must be as strenuous as the evaluations they will eventually be conducting.
How would it work?
A team of these trained observers would conduct each teacher’s evaluation. One would have taught in the subject area. Another would be a “generalist” who will evaluate the individual in terms of their classroom skills. The lead evaluator would be responsible for acquiring input from the entire school community as described in those 87 pages. Techniques such as videotaping formal observations could be employed. This recording could be used both as a tool in the actual evaluation and as a learning device for the entire staff. The benefits to the faculty of a film library featuring a collection of excellent examples of classroom teaching would be immense. There is a reason why successful sport teams use such technology in a similar manner.
By having these professional evaluators work in multiple schools, the process would become more consistent throughout the district. It would also be far less personal. Being assessed by someone who works in the building and with whom one interacts on a regular basis does not always result in a comfortable relationship. Likewise, the possibility of having this process performed multiple times over a period of years by the same individual may not ensure the best outcomes. Additionally, there is a strong possibility that teachers would be more open and honest with someone whose only professional involvement is as an evaluator.
What about the details?
Notably absent in this conversation are any specifics about the actual evaluation. How often should they occur? How many observations must be made? What portion should be formal and what should be informal? What is the termination policy? These are just a few of the questions that need to be answered to make an evaluation effective. Actually they have all been addressed in great detail in those 87 pages. Now it is up to school districts to realize the importance of this process and put in the appropriate time and commitment necessary for implementing teacher evaluations in an effective way.
While the headlines remind us of the current obsession with firing principals and teachers, some around the country have actually read the research and have come to recognize that the answer is not firing, but recruiting and retaining school leaders. They are taking a more enlightened, long-term approach to school leadership by seeking to reduce turnover and help shorten the learning curve for new principals.
According to a recent report in Edutopia, "school districts are seeking new ways to attract and retain effective administrators. One solution has been to provide mentors. With "40 percent of U.S. school principals reaching retirement age in the next decade, the increasing complexity and pressures of the job, and a growing student population," there simply aren't enough effective leaders out there and the current climate may be deterring future leaders from pursuing the principalship.
Takeaways
Mentors can help new school leaders face a number of critical issues:
Complexity - Leading a school is a complex task that "encompasses so much that it's impossible to write down in a job description."
Learning Curve - Time pressures are real. While experts agree that it takes 4-6 years to change the culture of a school, the reality is that most new school leaders are expected to show improvements in student achievement right away. Thus, the old "sink-or-swim method" which "often delays mastery of the job for teachers, it can also impede the success and job satisfaction of principals." Mentors can help get new principals up to speed quicker by helping them make use of OPE--Other People's Experience.
Isolation - New principals discover quickly that loneliness comes with the job. A mentor can help soften the effects of feelings of isolation by providing a sympathetic ear and a voice of experience.
Formal and Informal - Albuquerque Public Schools has established a formal mentor program that pays the mentor a small annual stipend. Online chats are another way to support both new and veteran school leaders.
Overcome Barriers - "Eager new principals who begin with big plans for immediately revamping instruction and turning the school into a first-class academic institution find that their dreams often take second place to a host of less pleasant endeavors: dealing with an ocean of bureaucratic paperwork; reacting to federal, state, and local initiatives such as zero-tolerance policies for drug abuse and sexual harassment that they may or may not agree with; being aware of the litigious nature of society today without resorting to nonsensical policies to avoid lawsuits; responding calmly to sometimes outrageous parent demands; riding herd on uninspiring or incompetent teachers while maintaining morale among the able and outstanding teachers; working long hours with night and weekend school-related activities, and taking pains to ensure that violence doesn't erupt at the school while keeping in perspective the thought that Columbine could happen anywhere. And financially, it often doesn't make sense to move from master teacher to principal."
Skills - The article cites four important skills that new principals need to learn and mentors can help teach: delegation, time management, ability to see the "big picture," and dealing with all kinds of people. Notice that instructional leadership is not mentioned.
Bottom Line
As a young administrator, I was fortunate to work in a school system in which the culture placed a premium on principals growing future principals. Having an assistant promoted to the principalship was a badge of honor and symbolic of the skills of that veteran leader. The best principals grew new principals.
Somehow, over the years, the importance of leaders growing leaders disappeared. However, I learned that growing future school leaders was more about making it a priority than it was about having a specific expertise or specialized training.
I found a particularly important piece of advice from a veteran principal hidden away in the article. "If you select one change that is most important to you and focus on that, your chance of being successful is greatly enhanced." This not only applies to new principals, but to veteran principals as well.
Too many schools are working on too many initiatives. As a result, their energies and efforts are dissipated to the point that nothing gets done. Have a clear focus. Make it simple. Repeat it over and over. Work on it, for years if need be, until you have it right before moving on to other things. In one school the focus may be literacy. In another, the focus may be attendance. In another, the focus may be a student advisory. While high-performing schools may not all have the same focus, they consistently make their main thing, the main thing.
If you haven't listened to the interview with this year's National Assistant Principal of the Year, Mike Shepherd, I highly recommend it.
Dr. Mike Shepherd
Assistant Principal
Har-Ber High School
Springdale, AR
Background: Former social studies teacher. Received his doctorate at Arkansas State. Dissertation topic was "Teacher Mentoring." Har-Ber High School: Grades 10-12, Enrollment: 1,600. Principal and 3 Assistant Principals. Springdale school district has doubled in size in a decade--more diverse, more poverty, more ELLs, more FARM students.
Notable Achievements
Teacher Mentoring: 100% retention rate and zero turnover for new teachers since 2006.
Four Keys to Effective Mentoring Program
1. Mentor in same subject area
2. Mentor in close physical proximity
3. A "structured program of observations"
4. Additional resources to supplement instruction
Advanced Placement
"Every kid may not go to college, but every kid deserves the opportunity to go to college and AP is one of the best ways to make that happen."
Improved both quantitatively and qualitatively. 122% increase in the number of students taking AP courses. 114% increase in the number of students scoring a 3 or above on AP exams.
Keys to Building a Quality AP Program
Role of the Assistant Principal
- Management and discipline continue to be a part of the role of the assistant principal. We must ensure safety because, if we don't "anything else doesn't matter."
If schools are going to improve, assistant principals must "do things differently."
- The effective assistant principal is an "instructional leader," who provides "purposeful structure" by visiting classrooms and offering support (remove barriers and provide resources) to teachers.
Alignment
"Our district has an aligned vision and mission."
Leadership
We use the "team approach." Leadership is "diffused" throughout the school. Our department chairs are "Lead Teachers." They are not in charge but they facilitate.
Advice to New Assistant Principals
It is easy to get bogged down in management tasks. Make time to spend with students and to engage in instructional leadership.
In a recent public appearance a prominent American made the following comments:
"We have piled on a lot of standardized tests on our kids. Now, there's nothing wrong with a standardized test being given occasionally just to give a baseline of where kids are at."
"Too often what we've been doing is using these tests to punish students or to, in some cases, punish schools."
"Let's find a test that everybody agrees makes sense; let's apply it in a less pressured-packed atmosphere; let's figure out whether we have to do it every year or whether we can do it maybe every several years; and let's make sure that that's not the only way we're judging whether a school is doing well."
"Because there are other criteria: What's the attendance rate? How are young people performing in terms of basic competency on projects?"
"I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching to the test. Because then you're not learning about the world; you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math. All you're learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and the little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test. And that's not going to make education interesting to you. And young people do well in stuff that they're interested in. They're not going to do as well if it's boring."
These are messages that more than a few teachers and principals want to hear--less testing, less pressure, less punishment of schools, more meaningful assessments, more focus on high-interest material.
If someone had told me that those were quotes made by President Obama In a town hall meeting hosted by Univision, I would have never believed it. Perhaps the fact that he has two school-aged daughters has helped reality sink in. We can only hope.
Assistant principals are difference makers. When it comes to getting things done on a day-to-day basis in a middle or high school, assistant principals play a key leadership role.
Educators are great at generating plans and ideas, but we are not as good at implementing them. From my experience, both as a long-time assistant principal and principal, the head implementer is the assistant principal. Because assistant principals are in constant contact with students, teachers, and parents, they play a key role in shaping the culture of the school. They get things done on a daily basis.
Assistant principals are an integral part of raising student performance. If schools are going to raise the performance of each and every student we are going to need to effectively implement a wide-variety of instructional programs and initiatives. Schools need multiple leaders, not just a leader. Most importantly, schools need instructional leaders who are lead learners. Raising the performance of each student demands the involvement of a wide variety of individuals. We must draw on the knowledge and expertise of every member of the staff.
My decision to leave teaching and go into administration was driven by my desire to go beyond my classroom to make a difference for more students. Early in my tenure as an assistant principal I arrived at what I now know was a crossroads. Like every assistant principal I have ever known, I was getting bogged down in the usual "administrivia." I would regularly lament to my colleagues that attendance, discipline, the cafeteria, and buses were all keeping me from doing what "I should be doing," which was working with teachers to improve classroom instruction.
I would still be on that same path had it not been for the sage advice of a seasoned veteran who told me, "Everything you do impacts instruction in a negative or positive way. Your actions are either helping or hurting. Everything you do helps create an environment in which teachers can teach and students can learn. Teaching and learning cannot take place unless you ensure a clean, safe, and orderly environment. The buses have to arrive and the bells ring on time. Lunch needs to be served. Your problem is that you are majoring in the minors. You have hundreds of opportunities every day to role up your sleeves and get involved with teachers, but you are waiting for someone to tell you what to do. My advice to you is to find something that can benefit teachers and improve instruction and at the same time. Find something that interests you, and run with it. Don't wait. Take the initiative."
Based on that advice, I became much more proactive. One year I taught a course for teachers on learning styles and instructional strategies. For two years, I co-taught a college-level course on cooperative learning. On another occasion, I worked with several core departments teaching mind-mapping strategies to our students. I headed up our business partnership, which organized our annual senior seminar. My most rewarding experience as an assistant principal was leading our school-wide technology initiative, which included teaching a technology integration course for our teachers. This role got me invited into classrooms and afforded me numerous opportunities to work in partnership with teachers helping them integrate technology into their classrooms. In addition, in this role, I helped establish two writing and reading labs, which directly contributed to our improving test scores.
Over my years as an assistant principal, I learned that there were numerous opportunities for me to take on the role of an instructional leader, but it was up to me to take advantage of those opportunities. Instead of whining about what I didn't like about my job, I had to start winning and creating my own reality. Our teachers began to see me as a learning leader because I was willing to be a lead learner.
Blogger's Note: At a recent meeting of NASSP's Assistant Principal Task Force, Keith East presented each member of the Task Force with a wooden spoon. The spoon is handmade by Maxie Eades, an 85 year-old Master Craftswoman. A handmade wooden spoon is an odd gift. However, I had a sense that Keith had a story behind the spoon, and he did.
The idea of using a spoon as a metaphor for teaching and learning came to mind after two separate and distinct conversations with educators from the international community.
The first was a math teacher from the west African country of Cameroon. When pressed by his American public school administrative team as to why his students were not performing well, he replied, “I cannot feed students who do not wish to eat.” His statement piqued my curiosity as to what we as educators could do to convince students that they were hungry even if they did not realize it.
The second conversation was with a British educator. When interviewed he was asked why was it that students in the United Kingdom were not subjected to standardized testing as often as students in the United States. His response was, “We simply believe that when students are hungry that they should be fed, rather than weighed.” While “weighing” students has its place, it should not overshadow the fact that education is really about feeding the hunger for knowledge and enlightenment.
We acknowledge that it is anathema to “spoon feed” information to students merely to have them spit it back to us. That is not a true teaching or learning experience. However, is it not true that the ultimate goal of all teaching is for the student to take hold of the spoon and feed themselves?
R. Keith East is Associate Professor in the School of Education at Southern Wesleyan University.
Central, SC 29630
by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader
Over the course of my forty-year teaching career, which included twenty-six years as a department chair, and ten as Curriculum Coordinator, I worked with a significant number of school administrators and district leaders. This is the third in a series highlighting those individuals who in my opinion were the most effective in their particular roles. The goal of these analyses is to illuminate those qualities that make professionals in these critical positions successful and maximize their positive influence in a school.
I had the good fortune to work with a number of extremely talented assistant principals. Many moved on in their careers to become successful principals at either middle or high schools. A few rose to the superintendent level in other districts. I also interacted with many individuals who were lacking in either the skills or the experiences required to be productive. Though they made my vocational life more difficult at the time, the shortcomings of these individuals allowed me to better understand and appreciate the strengths of the effective APs.
Due to the large number of excellent administrators I encountered, I have the wonderful dilemma of trying to parse out which one was the best. As an indication of my good fortune, I have found that to be an impossible task. Consequently, with apologies to many other worthy candidates, I believe that two individuals, David Smith and Cordell Gill best embodied the personal talents and skills necessary to be outstanding assistant principals and have a positive impact on both the math department and the school.
What attributes made them the most effective assistant principals?
The role of an Assistant Principal is very different from that of the Director of Guidance or Instructional Coordinator. Both of those positions have a very specific focus, the students and master schedule for the former and a single curriculum for the latter. In contrast Assistant Principals must be multi-taskers. They must provide discipline, supervise multiple curriculums, evaluate teachers, and contribute to school policy, in addition to miscellaneous jobs ranging from hall duty to planning graduation. Consequently their success cannot be explained with a list of specific personal qualities that produced effectiveness as was done for the previous “bests”. For this position excellence is found in the mindset they took to their role.
In both casual and formal situations, Dave and Cordell never envisioned their position as one with an elevated status—neither perceived himself as owning a seat at “the head of the table” in a room full of teachers. Their vision of the job of an Assistant Principal was not to give orders or make unilateral decisions. Rather they saw their basic role as assisting teachers to perform more effectively. They listened. To that end they solicited the needs and concerns of teachers and department chairs then worked in a collaborative manner to find solutions. They realized that teachers were not interchangeable parts. Each one possessed unique strengths and weaknesses that needed to be either nurtured or mitigated.
Unfortunately this approach is not always the norm. One of the most corrosive relationships that can be created in a school is a “we vs. they” mentality between the teaching and administrative staffs. I once heard an AP tell a teacher who questioned one of his decisions concerning a student, “I find it hard to believe that a teacher would not simply follow the directive of an administrator.” Another explained to a department chair, “Your role is to implement the policies of the administration”. Such attitudes, which occur far too often, are one of the primary sources of low teacher morale.
In a perfect educational world every department would be supervised by someone who is qualified to teach in that area. While that situation can make an AP even more effective, in most cases it is not the reality. Both Dave and Cordell had a narrow view of their role in determining curriculum policy. They reserved such decisions for those who were certified in the subject area. They understood that their area of expertise was in creating the best possible educational climate in the building, not in determining what topics were to be taught in each individual room or which teacher should be teaching a specific class. They offered their services in a reactive manner—as someone who was a willing listener who would give suggestions and advice when solicited or necessary.
To attain educational success there must be strong classroom management. Dave and Cordell understood that certain students could “highjack” the education of others. When dealing with such individuals they sent a powerful and consistent message—such conduct will not be tolerated. Both worked in a positive manner with all the involved parties. They were always “pro-teacher” when working with the students. When informing teachers of the outcomes they would become “pro-student” explaining in detail any circumstances that may not have been previously revealed.
Like every great Assistant Principal I worked with I viewed these two men as my allies never as adversaries. They handled every situation in a professional and even-handed manner. They approached all personal interactions whether with students or teachers with an open mind. Most importantly they saw themselves as a person working behind the scenes to make the school better.
by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader
At your next social gathering, bring up the currently hot topic of teacher tenure and you most assuredly will elicit many diverse opinions and emotions. Some people are adamant that it creates and retains bad teachers. Others are equally vociferous that without it good teachers are robbed of due process and are at risk of being fired on a principal’s whimsy. One viewpoint will espouse that lifetime employment destroys motivation; the response will be that job security allows experimentation and innovation.
There is no question that many high-profile educators are firmly convinced that tenure is an absolute necessity. In a recent post Tom Whitby, an invited participant at the MSNBC “Education Nation” forum, wrote about the critical need for tenure in all schools. Mr. Whitby was particularly upset by the comments of a young educator who received a great deal of attention when she stated that she did not feel a need for tenure because she was confident that her classroom performance would ensure her of continued employment. Clearly, Mr. Whitby disagreed.
“The sound of fingernails on the blackboard for that statement ripped into me. What she was asking for is what Tenure IS. It is a guarantee of due process. It guarantees that the only thing you can be fired for is that which you are responsible for in your teaching duties. What you CAN be fired for under the Tenure law is: Misconduct, Incompetence, Insubordination, Physical or Mental Disability, Neglect of Duty, or a Lack of Teaching Certificate. Additionally, it cannot be a blind accusation, it must be documented. It is also presented at a hearing with all parties under oath. This guarantees fairness in firing people. Why would any teacher say they don’t need that? If the world were as this young teacher assumes it is, having all teachers judged on the merits of their teaching, it would be a wonderful world. History shows us that it has not always been so.”
A difference of opinion
While I strongly agree with Mr. Whitby that teachers must be protected against unjustified dismissals, I am not convinced that tenure is the best approach. The ultimate goal of education must be to produce successful students. Every day that a weak teacher is in the classroom has the potential of inflicting significant damage to student progress. Any program that slows the termination process will have a potentially negative impact on academic success. Thus, based on my own professional observations and after reading about the “rubber rooms” in New York City, I believe there are better methods than tenure to produce a high quality teaching staff. What is needed is an efficient and effective plan to make good teachers more productive and reduce the number of weak ones. Here is a four-step approach to building a teaching staff that will give superior results to one that depends primarily on tenure.
A comprehensive hiring process. The act of selecting the correct candidates is one of the most important functions of a school. The math of the situation is simple. Hiring a higher percentage of excellent teachers dramatically lessens the need to find methods to remove poor ones. The job interview should include a sample teaching presentation by the applicant, multiple references, an on-site writing sample, and an extended question and answer period. Great care should be taken throughout the reference process. It should be the professional responsibility of all parties to be as honest and candid as possible when discussing the previous work of a candidate. Far too many times when contacting references faulty or misleading information has lead to inappropriate hires. The interviewing panel should include the department chair, assistant principal and a teacher from the subject area. A follow up interview should have classroom observations by the candidate and time interacting with potential colleagues. This approach will take a great deal of time. But every minute spent finding the right individual can save hours of suffering with the wrong one.
Have rigorous evaluations during a teacher’s first three years. The time to determine the potential of an educator is early in their career. After three years it is highly unlikely that one will improve appreciatively. But to be able to accurately determine a person’s potential requires a complex process. Five or more observations by professional evaluators should occur each year. Several of the sessions should be done by individuals who are certified in the subject area. Videotapes of classes should be taken and reviewed by both the evaluators and teachers. If at any point during this period a teacher is determined to be lacking the skills to be successful there should be a clearly established policy for termination. Again, while such an evaluation system will be time consuming and expensive, dealing with the results of poor teaching will be far more costly and detrimental to students.
Create a continuing system of collaborative “teacher growth”. After the initial evaluation period, the teaching staff should engage in an ongoing effort to improve each other’s skills. This program would include a consistent interchange of ideas from colleagues who will observe each other’s classes, share ideas and suggestions, and when appropriate, carefully analyze student test results. These groupings should include both teachers within a department and those from other subject areas. It must be clearly understood that this is not an evaluation process but rather an opportunity to improve and refine teaching practices.
Reduce the influence of the principal in the dismissal process. I strongly agree with Mr. Whitby’s concern with a potentially capricious decision by a principal to fire a teacher. (An example of this type of abuse of power will be presented in a follow up to this post) I endorse two initiatives to eliminate the potential of such an occurrence. Requests for teacher terminations would be the responsibility of a committee rather than the exclusive domain of the principal. In addition to the principal this committee could include the director of guidance, an assistant principal and the district coordinator of the particular curriculum. In addition, greater care must be taken in the selection process of principals to ensure that individuals who would perform in an unprofessional manner would be excluded. A process very similar to the one suggested for teachers should be adopted for administrative hiring. Once again, the extra time and energy required for such a plan would be ultimately less costly than the damage caused by the wrong person being in this position.
More than anything else, including higher pay (45%), 40,000 teachers surveyed reported that they want supportive leadership (68%). The question is, what is supportive leadership? Customer satisfaction is an important indicator of quality service, corporations put a lot of time, effort, and money into surveys that ask their customers “How did we do?” So, why not ask teachers who have worked with school leaders about their views on supportive leadership?
In Simply the Best, The Teacher Leader does just that. A 40-year classroom veteran and teacher-leader should be a good judge of supportive leadership. In his profile of Barbara Douds, The Teacher Leader identifies a number of Barbara’s key leadership qualities including:
“A listener, a learner, and active participant” – “She would talk with each chair, listen to their concerns and goals, and acquired the information necessary to be fluent in the most pressing issues of that subject area. She would then work with the chairs to formulate the best approaches for the guidance staff to assist in implementing their programs.” Teachers want collaboration. They want to share. They want a partnership. Teachers don’t want leaders who ‘simply follow dictates or who ask no question, seek no answers and most of all give no advice.’
Trust and Respect – The Teacher Leader points to one of Michael Fullan’s Six Secrets of Change, “transparency” of data, as a key element in gaining the trust of the staff. Everyone had the same numbers and they knew that the numbers were correct. In addition, he points to Barbara being “viewed by all as fair and honest” as keys to her ability to earn trust and respect.
No surprises! – Supportive leadership (collaboration) is not asking teachers what they want and then doing what is convenient—Administration By Convenience (ABCs). In a true partnership, each party consults the other when making key decisions.
Her attention to detail and “her work ethic was contagious.”
Emotionally supportive – No matter what occurred, “her demeanor was always calm and her mood was always even.” Students need a low-threat classroom to learn. Teachers must know that, no matter what, it is never personal.
A few week’s ago, I ran across a retired teacher, who had built a nationally recognized music program. He and I had worked together, and I had the pleasure of being his administrator and one of his biggest supporters. He was a true showman and I had the distinct pleasure of attending many of his outstanding student performances. Many of his students went on to musical careers because of his outstanding teaching.
I asked him how his successor was doing. He turned to me and said, “I have the feeling that he is driving my car down the highway.” Without hesitation, I replied, “I hope he is. After all, the greatest compliment that he could pay you, his teacher and mentor, was to carry on the legacy of excellence that you built.” He looked at me and smiled. “I never thought about it that way.” I said, “How would you feel if the program that you had worked so hard to build, died a slow death?”
Jay Mathews’ tribute to retiring Wakefield High School Principal, Doris Jackson, is a fitting testimonial to the power of the teacher-student relationship and how that relationship can have a positive impact on a school for a decade. Wakefield High School’s former principal, Marie Djouadi, was a highly respected principal who led Wakefield from a school that was condemned and criticized to the ranks of the highly commended. When her assistant, Doris Jackson, took over in 2002, she had big shoes to fill. I worked in two different schools that bordered Wakefield. So, I had a number of opportunities to talk with Doris, and I can tell you, that she was all business from the get go.
Wakefield High School, located in Arlington, Virginia has the odds stacked against it. It is a high-poverty, urban school with a diverse, highly mobile student population. Approximately half of the students are low-income. The school is 85% minority--47 percent Hispanic, 27 percent black, 15 percent white and 11 percent Asian. In addition, Wakefield has a large number of second language (ELL) students who come from over 60 countries and speak more than forty languages.
Fast-forward eight years and Doris Jackson has not only sustained what Marie had started, but she paid the ultimate compliment to her teacher--she took the school to another, higher level. President Obama delivered a nationally televised speech from Wakefield last year. It is no accident that the President chose Wakefield as the site for his speech. Despite many risk factors including a decaying physical plant, Wakefield has become a beacon of hope for under-resourced schools across the country.
Referring to Doris Jackson as “one of the nation’s most imaginative and resourceful principals,” the article listed some of her many innovations and accomplishments including the following:
Great Schools Have Great Leaders
Leaders grow leaders! The test of a great leader is what happens when they are gone. While no change is permanent, at least in Wakefield’s case, the work of Marie Djouadi was carried on and further extended by her successor, Doris Jackson. Hopefully, Doris’ assistant principal, Chris Willmore, will carry on the work and continue the legacy of excellence at Wakefield High School.
Current school turnaround models call for the replacement of the principal, and, in some cases, half of the teaching staff. However, the real problem may not be that there are too many bad principals and assistant principals, but that the principals and assistant principals don’t stay long enough.
Recent research conducted by Dr. Ed Fuller reveal some alarming data about the mobility of both principal and assistant principals:
The Bottom Line
"Teacher quality is the single most important school factor in student success"--Aspen Institute's Commission on No Child Left Behind
The quickest way to improve education is to acquire the best possible teachers. A recent post discussed an effective evaluation process that could be used to identify weak teachers and improve strong ones. Moreover, if a better system of hiring teachers were implemented, the quality of the teaching staff would undergo yet another much-needed upgrade. I strongly believe that despite having numerous and a varied responsibility during my career, my most important job was hiring math teachers. The quality of these new hires would affect hundreds of students either positively or negatively for years. A school must be willing to commit a significant amount of its resources to ensure that it is hiring individuals with the greatest potential for success.
While no hiring method can guarantee 100% success, an effective one will result in creating a staff filled with teachers who possess the tools and potential to become outstanding educators. The underpinnings of such a procedure would be acquiring candidates with a strong curricular background, good teaching skills, and the personal chemistry to relate successfully with both the student body and staff.
The Most Basic Credential
Dr. Diane Ravitch recently wrote an outstanding article in the Washington Post, “No Child Left Behind flunks out”, in which she reveals remarkable insights into a number of current educational issues. Anyone interested in improving our schools should read this piece carefully. One of her most interesting points was in the area of hiring teachers.
Everyone agrees that good education requires good teachers. To get good teachers, states should insist -- and the federal government should demand -- that all new teachers have a major in the subject they expect to teach or preferably a strong educational background in two subjects, such as mathematics and music or history and literature. Every state should expect teachers to pass a rigorous examination in the subjects they will teach, as well as a general examination to demonstrate their literacy and numeracy.
Ravitch is correct in both her assertions and her concerns. While the public may assume that every teacher has a degree in the subject that they teach, that is not always the case. Each spring my district would evaluate and subsequently hire thirty-five or so math teachers. These teachers were given a contract and then their names and resumes were distributed to each of the high schools. And each spring I would be amazed at how many of these guaranteed contracts had been given to individuals without a degree in mathematics. The pile of resumes would be filled with business, education, and science majors. Occasionally some stunning outliers were sprinkled into the mix. One year we had a candidate with a major in art and another with one in drama. My assistant principal decided that we should interview the one from the field of drama—“I was thinking maybe she could bring something new and unique to the classroom”— five minutes into the interview she realized she had been way too optimistic.
My views are very similar to those of Dr. Ravitch. Teachers should have a degree in the field in which they teach. This mind-set began years ago when I was impressed by something a highly successful basketball coach told me. “I can teach a kid how to dribble, shoot, read defenses and defend,” he said, “what I cannot do is teach him to be tall.” I followed this philosophy both in my coaching and in my hiring practices. My history of hires over more than two decades validated my belief that it is far easier to turn a mathematician into a teacher than it is to turn a teacher into a mathematician. Although not an absolute, a large majority of the poorly performing teachers at my school had not been math majors in college. Student opinions reinforced my belief. When asked to describe the attributes of a good teacher, students would regularly tell me that enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject matter were near the top. A person with a degree in a subject would not only be more likely to meet these criteria but their depth of knowledge would also aid in relating the material to the real world and demonstrating its relevance to other curricula.
Building the Interview List
After receiving the early hire information my assistant principal and I would independently go through the stack. My selection process was a combination of objective and subjective. I would begin by pulling out those that were math majors. Next I would look at their GPA. If it was not included in their resume I would request a college transcript. (The aforementioned coach also counseled that “given a choice between two athletes of similar physical talents I will always go with the smarter one.”) Then I would begin the less concrete portion of the assessment. The next question to be answered was how well would this individual fit with our school. Since our student body had an extremely high free or reduced lunch rate and a large ELL population, I would look for clues in the resume that would indicate a proclivity for teaching in such an environment. Previous employment, summer jobs, and other areas of interest would be carefully examined looking for indications of personal preferences. After assessing all of the potential candidates, I would create my list of “blue-chip” choices. After comparing notes with my administrator we would begin making the phone calls necessary to establish a series of the interviews.
Ask any great chef for the secret to a fabulous dish and the immediate response will be “start with great ingredients.” The recipe for a strong teaching staff is very similar. The best method for ensuring a cadre of outstanding educators is to hire only those with excellent credentials. While there are many important variables to consider in selecting a candidate, the primary one should be a strong background in the subject matter. Such a starting point will guarantee the best possible results. The second component in the process, constructing an interview that accurately determines which of the candidates is the best choice will be the focus of the next installment of this conversation.
Next: Making the Interview Productive
by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader
Creating the Right Measuring Stick
"Teacher quality is the single most important school factor in student success" - Aspen Institute's Commission on No Child Left Behind
In a recent post, “Get rid of the bad teachers, but who are they?”, Mel Riddile raises a number of critical questions. He asks whether teachers are born or made, what makes a teacher “good”, and how can we create a mechanism for districts to remove poor educators?
I believe that good teachers are made not born. No matter how innately talented, every educator can improve with positive classroom experiences, exposure to effective strategies and the tutelage of other talented educators. But how can we quantify the quality of our teachers and develop an efficient method to remove those who are under performing? I believe there is one route that can help with regard to both issues – the evaluation process. It is a process that with a significant investment of additional time, money and emphasis can both identify ineffective teachers and help others to improve.
A Flawed Procedure
I was evaluated many times in the course of my career. When I compared my experiences with other teachers there were remarkable similarities. Every few years an assistant principal would make one prearranged and another unannounced classroom observation. On average each visit was about twenty minutes in duration and generated four to six pages of educational boilerplate. The only section I read carefully was entitled “Needs to Improve”. Unfortunately none of these comments were enlightening. The most memorable was that I had more males than females in class, a factor I had scant ability to control.
In some instances the process was a waste of valuable resources. In my thirty-ninth year of teaching I was evaluated by a young but gifted assistant principal who had four years of experience in social studies. Though we both laughed good-naturedly about the situation, it was clear that the time and energy we both expended on the process could have been more effectively used in other areas of the school.
The Wrong Person for the Job
But placing the blame on the evaluators is unfair. The vast majority of assistant principals have to deal with an overwhelming array of responsibilities. One of my most recent evaluators was tasked with the discipline of more than three hundred freshmen, administering three different departments, implementing a plan for state barrier exams, hall duty between change of classes, supervising several extra-curricular and athletic events, interviewing candidates for vacancies and training to oversee the program bridging the middle school to the high school. All of these jobs were in addition to whatever other crises might arise during the course of a typical day. It should not be surprising that the process of evaluating teachers especially those with established positive reputations would quickly fall to the bottom of her “to-do” list.
Putting the “Value” Into Evaluation
There was, however, one evaluation I found extremely productive. It was the process employed by my district during its brief dalliance with “merit pay”. A great deal of thought and resources had been put into this evaluation procedure and those efforts resulted in the most instructive, detailed and sophisticated assessment of my career. Based on that experience I believe that a modified form of this evaluation would be an excellent model for building a more effective plan. So how would an effective high school performance evaluation system work?
Three professionals would form a teacher’s evaluation team. One (generalist) would be a highly trained observer who is thoroughly versed in the fundamentals of good teaching. Another (curriculum specialist) would have similar training but would have taught in the subject field being observed. The third would be a local assistant principal. The generalists and curriculum specialists would be full time positions in the district. These individuals would be required to have at least ten years of successful teaching experience in addition to the intensive training. Retired teachers could be an outstanding and economical talent pool for these positions.
The process would be intense. It would consist of five formal observations. The generalist and specialist would have two announced and two unannounced. The local assistant principal would have one unannounced. All observations would encompass the entire class period. The two announced would be videotaped and the film would be a central component in post-observation conferences. Each video would also be available to the other members of the team. When appropriate, standardized test scores and failure rates would be included in the overall assessment. Evaluators will, of course, be carefully trained in analyzing such data and how to utilize it in a fair, accurate manner. At the end of the process, the three observers would meet and create the overall rating that would then be shared with the teacher.
One of the critical components of the system must be the ability to efficiently terminate poor teachers. To expedite this outcome and to maximize resources the major focus would be on the early part of a teacher’s career. It is unrealistic to assume that teachers will either significantly improve after three or four years of mediocrity or that a successful educator would suddenly become ineffective after two decades of exemplary work. Thus, the most intense focus would be during a teacher’s early years. During the first three years, ineffective teachers must be terminated or mentored. Those who complete these probationary years would continue the evaluation process every third year in a modified form. At this point the evaluation would be the three unannounced visits. Individuals who have at least twenty years of successful service can opt out of required evaluations. Teachers would also have the option of choosing to be evaluated in off years. The optional process would be the three unannounced visits. And why would anyone choose to voluntarily be evaluated? If the process were truly effective, many educators would welcome such scrutiny as a path toward professional improvement.
The performance of students is a direct reflection of the quality of their teachers. To ensure that only the best educators are in our classrooms a strong effective system of evaluation needs to be in place. This process should have three essential outcomes. It must clearly define the performance level of teachers, serve as a learning tool for improvement, and provide the foundation for the removal of under achieving personnel in a timely manner. The immediate financial investment should not be a deal breaker. Not when the rewards – quality teachers - are so critical to student success.
Next: Determining the best candidates
(For more thoughts on improving teachers you might be interested in Ensuring New Teachers Become Old Ones: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Also in the April 26 Washington Post Jay Mathews discusses the issue of evaluation and creating better teachers in “Explosive book for a new teacher generation”)
This is National Assistant Principal Week and a time to pay tribute to our colleagues who care for our students and teaches and who make our schools work on a daily basis.
A group of my fellow principals had just completed a dinner meeting. As we were walking out, one of my colleagues came up to me and told me that she had been approached by one of the patrons who asked her, “Is that Mel Riddile?” The individual gave her his business card, he was an orthodontist, and told her to tell me hello. “He was my principal at Lee High School, said the man.”
When my friend told me the story, I said in amazement, “I left that school in the 1970s! Besides, I was not the principal. I was the assistant principal.”
The next week, I was in a local supermarket and a woman approached me and asked, “Did you ever work for the school system?” I admitted that I had. She went on to say, “Weren’t you my principal at Lee High School?” Again, that was in the 1970s. “I never got in trouble, so you probably don’t remember who I am,” she continued.
I can’t believe the number of times I am approached by adults who introduce themselves saying, “I never got into trouble” or “I don’t get into trouble anymore.”
These meetings with former students reminded me of another time at another school where I was also an assistant principal. This large high school was divided into small learning communities each with its own office and staff. Each “subschool” as we called them, acted as a mini-school. The assistant principal, two counselors, and one secretary took care of everything students from attendance to record keeping for 700-plus. The school had over 3,000 students and the principal, who was very focused on the need to personalize the school environment, intentionally stood in the same spot at the top of the main stairwell every morning so that the students would get to know who he was.
On one of the last days of school, a student office assistant in one of the “subschools” who was completing a mock final exam that all the secretaries gave to their assistants, walked up to me and asked, “Are you the principal?” I replied, “That man who stands at the top of the stairs every day is the principal. You are a senior. Didn’t you know that?” He calmly replied, “I always thought that you were the principal.
Food For Thought
I learned a long time ago that titles don’t matter to students. The most important thing to students is that they have someone they can count on, someone who is always there to lend a caring and helping hand. Thank you for being that someone.
Last August, First Lady, Michelle Obama, was chastised by Washington Post writer, Robin Givhan, who reminded readers that “None of them (previous first ladies) revealed as much leg as the current first lady.” Givhan cautioned Mrs. Obama that “Avoiding the appearance of queenly behavior is politically wise. But it does American culture no favors if a first lady tries so hard to be average that she winds up looking common.”
Ms. Givhan is qualified to address fashion issues. However, as Spring breaks into full bloom, high school principals and assistant principals will be forced to become experts on fashion and to enforce student dress code policies, many of which are unenforceable.
Believe me, as a high school principal, the last thing that I wanted to do was worry about dress code policies. The reality of life is that some students will push the envelope and dress so provocatively or inappropriately that they distract their peers to the point that they disrupt the educational process.
I can remember a prominent legislator confronting me because I had the audacity to send his daughter home to change from her pajamas and slippers into appropriate school attire. I reminded him that, not only did I not discipline his daughter, but that I had personally warned his daughter and her friends not to wear pajamas to school for an upcoming school celebration.
School systems make a difficult and unpleasant task doable by having policies that are specific enough to be enforceable. In Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, student services representatives annually meet with principals and ask for feedback on the current policy. The policy is kept up-to-date, and principals have specific, identifiable behaviors to enforce. The Fairfax County policy is clear and reasonable. “All students are expected to dress appropriately for a K-12 educational environment. Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment is unacceptable. Clothing with language or images that are vulgar, discriminatory, or obscene or clothing that promotes illegal or violent conduct, such as the unlawful use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or drug paraphernalia, or clothing that contains threats such as gang symbols is prohibited. (See page X, for additional information regarding gang-related clothing.) Clothing should fit, be neat and clean, and conform to standards of safety, good taste, and decency. Clothing that exposes cleavage, private parts, the midriff, or undergarments, or that is otherwise sexually provocative, is prohibited. Examples of prohibited clothing include, but are not limited to: sagging or low-cut pants, low-cut necklines that show cleavage, tube tops, halter tops, backless blouses or blouses with only ties in the back, clothing constructed of see-through materials, and head coverings unless required for religious or medical purposes.”
Other school systems take the easy way out and leave the dress code issue totally up to the principal’s judgment. Instead of taking a position, they put the principal on the chopping block. For example, one school system’s policy stated, “A student’s dress and appearance shall not cause disruption, distract others from the educational process or create a health or safety problem. Students must comply with specific building dress regulations of which students will be given prior notice.”
Upon reading this, I concluded that, given some of the current attitudes about dress, a student would literally have to run through the hallways naked to cause the kind of disruption that would warrant action by the principal under this policy. Perhaps I am overstating the issue, but there is simply too much subjectivity in the application of this policy to ensure consistent and fair enforcement. In other words, the policy is unenforceable.
That wouldn’t stop a school official from calling the principal to complain that supposed students, who were walking down the street in the middle of the day, were dressed inappropriately. Nor would it stop another official from calling to complain that a constituent objected to the principal’s interpretation of the dress code. Caught in the middle again!
Principals want to be instructional leaders. School systems need to align policy with practice to ensure that the school leaders they hold accountable for student achievement actually have the tools and resources needed and that they are protected from the distractions of the fashion police.
by Stuart Singer
My discussion of the role of the department chair brought forth some interesting and intriguing responses. While many focused on the specific proposals, a number of others saw it as an opportunity to discuss the difficulty of creating a positive, productive and trusting relationship between the administrative team and the teaching staff. More importantly, there was a general consensus that a strong “we vs. they” mentality exists in many schools and when allowed to fester it can seriously impair the morale and effectiveness of a building.
The perceived source of this tension was surprising. One might think that the most significant cause of such strife would be teacher evaluations. Any time one person is responsible for assessing the performance of another, a “boss- employee” mindset can easily form. Surprisingly, based on the input I have received, this assessment is not considered the main area of friction between the administration and staff. While there are stories worthy of folklore concerning this process, those cases tend to involve only the individual participants rather than the school at large. School-wide problems, it appears, revolve around disagreement as to roles of the administrative team and the faculty concerning the establishment of curriculum policy and the educational environment in a school.
In This Corner
The job of an assistant principal is inherently difficult. In addition to dealing with issues relating to student discipline, buses, parental complaints, bell schedules, field trips and the like, this position can become even more challenging when the responsibility of teacher evaluations is added. The school curriculum is an ever-changing landscape of barrier exams and new programs to evaluate.
And in This Corner
The job of the classroom teacher is inherently difficult. In addition to the usual responsibilities of grading papers, creating materials, parent conferences, after-school help, extra-curricular responsibilities and the like, this job has become even more challenging because of the ever changing role of the classroom educator. The curriculum is in a constant state of flux as new initiatives are continually being implemented and the technology demands never stand still.
When Worlds Collide
(The following views are from the perspective of the classroom teacher. Those with other perspectives are encouraged to offer theirs.)
While there are plenty of potential interpersonal potholes in the path of any assistant principal, the issues which are most problematic deal with constructing educational policy and the professional roles of teachers and administrators. During my twenty-six years as a math chair, the department was supervised by six different APs. Their educational experiences were highly diverse and many were outstanding but they all shared one commonality—none had ever taught math. These seemingly inappropriate assignments were neither unique nor avoidable. When a staff of three or four assistant principals must supervise a dozen different and very distinct curricula the probability that they will be in charge of a subject they had taught is remote. With these circumstances in mind, it is not difficult to visualize potential conflicts arising if this individual is empowered to make decisions directly involving curriculum policy. It is even more potentially combustible if these choices are in direct opposition to the opinions of the department chair or classroom teacher.
One reader wrote:
“I was in a meeting where a question was asked as to the role of the department chair. The response was ‘Their responsibility is to carry out the policies of the administrative team.’ When pressed further it was clearly stated that policy making was exclusively the domain of the administrative team.”
It is not surprising that this approach could be a concern for a classroom teacher whose experience in teaching a specific curriculum far exceeds the experience of the person making such a statement.
Another source of friction is the belief held by many teachers that any time a student struggles in their class the responsibility for this failure is placed squarely on the instructor. The countless number of conferences, documentation and questions that are triggered by student failure often point in the direction of the “offending” teacher. And in most cases the person questioning the competence of the teacher is the assistant principal. This situation led to another response:
“I firmly believe that administrators should teach classes occasionally. I don’t mean just visiting a class; I mean a whole semester or year. As soon as somebody leaves the classroom, they change. The argument is that now they see the other side. I’m sure there is another side, but that doesn’t mean the teaching side disappears.”
A Successful School is Flat
The world of Thomas Friedman is flat, a place where the actions of every country affects every other. In order for an educational institution to be high functioning it must be constructed in a very similar manner. Student success is the ultimate measure of a school. And the highest levels of accomplishment only occur when every human cog in the machinery of a building is working to its maximum capacity and in concert with everyone else. Without the best efforts of the teaching, clerical, custodial, administrative, security and counseling staffs diminished results are inevitable. If one of these groups fails to meet its obligations, the negative ripples spread throughout all others. Consequently any instance of miscommunication, mistrust or incompetence must be avoided. The working relationship between the administrators and teachers must be founded on mutual respect, appreciation of the talents that each possess and the realization that their relationship is one of a collaborative and constantly evolving partnership. Equally important is the understanding that none of these attributes is intrinsic to a title or position. They must be earned and re-earned regularly.
Communication Has to Start at the Top
So how can a school create a cohesive, positive working relationship between the administrative and teaching staffs? The administrative/faculty interaction should be one of the highest priorities of principals. Their vision of this relationship must be clearly stated, contain no ambivalence, and be repeated often both in public and private. It should be shared with the teachers, the administrators and then to everyone collectively. The dialogue should be both verbal and written to ensure that there is no possibility of misinterpretations, misconceptions or secret agendas. Fully informed individuals can best manage their own expectations and are far less likely to be disappointed or confused.
Ensuring the academic success of every student is the ultimate responsibility of a school principal. Creating a learning environment where there is a strong sense of respect and a clear understanding of individual responsibilities among the staff rest squarely on the building’s top administrator. The buck and this policy stop at that office door.
A group of my fellow principals had just completed a dinner meeting. As we were walking out, one of my colleagues came up to me and told me that she had been approached by one of the patrons who asked her, “Is that Mel Riddile?” The individual gave her his business card, he was an orthodontist, and told her to tell me hello. “He was my principal at Lee High School, said the man.”
When my friend told me the story, I said in amazement, “I left that school in the 1970s! Besides, I was not the principal. I was the assistant principal.”
The next week, I was in a local supermarket and a woman approached me and asked, “Did you ever work for the school system?” I admitted that I had. She went on to say, “Weren’t you my principal at Lee High School?” Again, that was in the 1970s. “I never got in trouble, so you probably don’t remember who I am,” she continued.
I can’t believe the number of times I am approached by adults who introduce themselves saying, “I never got into trouble” or “I don’t get into trouble anymore.”
These meetings with former students reminded me of another time at another school where I was also an assistant principal. This large high school was divided into small learning communities each with its own office and staff. Each “subschool” as we called them, acted as a mini-school. The assistant principal, two counselors, and one secretary took care of everything students from attendance to record keeping for 700-plus. The school had over 3,000 students and the principal, who was very focused on the need to personalize the school environment, intentionally stood in the same spot at the top of the main stairwell every morning so that the students would get to know who he was.
On one of the last days of school, a student office assistant in one of the “subschools” who was completing a mock final exam that all the secretaries gave to their assistants, walked up to me and asked, “Are you the principal?” I replied, “That man who stands at the top of the stairs every day is the principal. You are a senior. Didn’t you know that?” He calmly replied, “I always thought that you were the principal.
Action Item: There are two important lessons here. First, it is a mistake to assume that all students know who you are or what you do. Tell them and tell them again. Visibility is important, but visibility does not equal recognition. One year, as a joke, I carried around a hand printed sign that asked, “Who am I?” Any student who came up to me and answered correctly received a gift certificate to the a la carte line in the cafeteria. You don’t have to wait twenty years to learn the second lesson. As far as some students are concerned, assistant principals are principals. To many students, the assistant principal is one if not the most significant adults in his or her life. Remember that, because they will remember you FOREVER!
Learn more about this blog and "head blogger" Mel Riddile...
