Becoming a School Principal
Becoming a School Principal

Author: Sarah E. Fiarman

Publisher: Harvard Education Press

Published: 2019-01-02

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1612508480

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The principal’s role is increasingly understood as a critical lever for school improvement. Yet the job can be a solitary one, offering few opportunities to reflect with colleagues. What does it take to manage the work of continuous improvement—to push staff members constantly to operate outside their comfort zones? What dilemmas and challenges must principals confront? How can school leaders learn from their mistakes and move forward? In Becoming a School Principal, Sarah E. Fiarman describes her first few years as a school principal committed to enacting a powerful vision of leading and learning. Drawing thoughtfully on the literature of school reform and change leadership, Fiarman discusses a wide range of topics, including empowering teachers, building trust, addressing racial and economic inequities, and supporting a culture of continuous learning, as well as thornier issues such as learning to use authority skillfully, dealing with resistance, and managing supervision and evaluation. The book addresses common challenges and highlights missteps as well as successes. A contributing author to several leading books on school reform and instructional improvement, Fiarman engages readers in a lively, frank, and revealing conversation about building the vision and capacity to provide effective instruction for all students and the intensely personal process of learning to lead.

What Every Principal Needs to Know to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools
What Every Principal Needs to Know to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools

Author: George Theoharis

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2015-04-25

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0807772267

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School leaders who succeed at creating a high-achieving learning community must also be committed to creating an equitable environment for all students. In this new book, key scholars across the content areas show how to put into practice a commitment to equity and excellence across the Pre-K12 spectrum. Readers learn directly from experts in each of the content domains (literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, music, early childhood, special education, English language learners, world languages, and physical education) how a commitment to social justice and equity can be grounded in core subject areas, why each has a place in the school, and what they need to know and do in each subject area. This book is a critical instructional leadership resource for new and veteran principals who want to see all students succeed. Contributors: Antonio J. Castro, Julie Causton-Theoharis, Virginia Collier, Katherine Delaney, Catherine Ennis, Virginia Goatley, Beth Graue, Rochelle Gutirrez, Kathleen A. Hinchman, Anne Karabon, Christi Kasa, Dave McAlpine, Mitchell Robinson, Victor Sampson, Sherry A. Southerland, and Wayne Thomas

The Principal's Office
The Principal's Office

Author: Kate Rousmaniere

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2013-09-17

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1438448252

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The Principal's Office is the first historical examination of one of the most important figures in American education. Originating as a head teacher in the nineteenth century and evolving into the role of contemporary educational leader, the school principal has played a central part in the development of American public education. A local leader who not only manages the daily needs of the school but also represents district and state officials, the school principal is the connecting hinge between classroom practice and educational policy. Kate Rousmaniere explores the cultural, economic, and political pressures that have impacted school leadership over time and considers professionalization, the experiences of women and people of color, and progressive community initiatives. She discusses the intersections between the role of the school principal with larger movements for civil rights, parental and community activism, and education reform. The school principal emerges as a dynamic character in the center of the educational enterprise, ever maneuvering between multiple constituencies, responding to technical and bureaucratic demands, and enacting different leadership strategies. By focusing on the historic development of school leadership, this book provides insights into the possibilities of school improvement for contemporary school leaders and reformers.

School Principal
School Principal

Author: Dan C. Lortie

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-08-01

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 0226493504

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When we think about school principals, most of us imagine a figure of vague, yet intimidating authority—for an elementary school student, being sent to the principal’s office is roughly on par with a trip to Orwell’s Room 101. But with School Principal, Dan C. Lortie aims to change that. Much as he did for teachers with his groundbreaking book Schoolteacher, Lortie offers here an intensive and detailed look at principals, painting a compelling portrait of what they do, how they do it, and why. Lortie begins with a brief history of the job before turning to the daily work of a principal. These men and women, he finds, stand at the center of a constellation of competing interests around and within the school. School district officials, teachers, parents, and students all have needs and demands that frequently clash, and it is the principal’s job to manage these conflicting expectations to best serve the public. Unsurprisingly then, Lortie records his subjects’ professional dissatisfactions, but he also vividly depicts the pleasures of their work and the pride they take in their accomplishments. Finally, School Principal offers a glimpse of the future with an analysis of current issues and trends in education, including the increasing presence of women in the role and the effects of widespread testing mandated by the government. Lortie’s scope is both broad and deep, offering an eminently useful range of perspectives on his subject. From the day-to-day toil to the long-term course of an entire career, from finding out just what goes on inside that office to mapping out the larger social and organizational context of the job, School Principal is a truly comprehensive account of a little-understood profession.

The School Principal
The School Principal

Author: Theodore J. Kowalski

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2010-08-14

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1135156859

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Over the past two decades, efforts to improve schools have significantly modified role expectations for principals. Today, school-level administrators are expected to be both visionary leaders and competent managers. Based on the conviction that administration is an amalgam of leadership and management, The School Principal emphasizes the need for practitioners to apply conceptual skills to make "what to do" decisions, to apply technical skills to make "how to do" decisions, and to apply relational skills to engage in democratic decision making. Kowalski frames the book with a discussion of the nature of schools, the roles of principals, and their need to improve schools. The book then provides a balanced treatment of leadership and management, covering issues of personal behavior, instructional leadership, relationship building issues, finances, facilities, personnel management, pupil services, and maintaining safe schools. The text closes with discussion of the vital aspects of practice for contemporary principals, addressing problem solving, collaborative change strategies, and personal commitment to being a principal. Special Features: Vignettes introduce the subject matter in the context of common challenges faced by practitioners. Knowledge-Based Questions and Skill-Based Activities prompt readers to engage with and reflect on the chapter content. The School Principal aligns with the Educational Leadership Consortium Council (ELCC) Standards. Treating principals as concurrently visionary leaders and competent managers, this excellent text addresses the needs of aspiring and practicing principals, providing the tools to build effective and efficient schools.

The Principal and School Improvement
The Principal and School Improvement

Author: Amanda Heffernan

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-07-30

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9811314950

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This book investigates the localised effects of reform by exploring the impact of a school improvement policy agenda on the work of three experienced principals. It presents three longitudinal case studies within a shared specific leadership context in Queensland, Australia. The case studies enable an exploration of the way the principalship in this context has evolved over time, providing deep insights into the practices and beliefs of three experienced school leaders working in a period of rapid and urgent systemic reform. The nature of global reform policy borrowing means that the research and the findings within this monograph are relevant for international audiences. The book describes a new way to understand and theorise the effects of reform policies and associated pressures on school leaders. Using post-structural theory, it provides a better understanding of the specific effects of reform policy ensembles, particularly when combined with an analysis of the ways policy and discourse work together at a wider level to create an environment that disciplines the principalship. Further, it sheds lights on the means of complying with or contesting policy influences and how the work of leaders has changed over time.

The Aspiring Principal 50
The Aspiring Principal 50

Author: Baruti K. Kafele

Publisher: ASCD

Published: 2019-05-14

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 1416627766

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So, you want to be a principal? Are you a new principal who could benefit from the wisdom of a successful four-time principal? Could you use help preparing for a school administrator job interview? Then this is the book for you. In The Aspiring Principal 50, school leadership expert Baruti Kafele presents reflective questions aimed at assisting both new and aspiring school leaders as they work to become effective school leaders and consider making a leap to a leadership position, respectively. This book will help aspiring principals determine whether "The Principal" is truly who they want to be and help new principals grow and thrive in the principalship. Additionally, the book contains an entire chapter devoted to preparing for the school administrator job interview. Kafele infuses the book from beginning to end with succinct advice on everything from remaining focused on the principal's number one priority—student achievement—to addressing maintenance concerns, managing budget allocations, and ensuring that the school's website puts the school in the best possible light. With The Aspiring Principal 50, you can increase the likelihood that your tenure as principal will be a successful, beneficial, and healthful one.

What Every Principal Should Know About School-Community Leadership
What Every Principal Should Know About School-Community Leadership

Author: Jeffrey Glanz

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2005-11-09

Total Pages: 137

ISBN-13: 1483361616

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Harness your community′s powerful resources to support achievement! Every school exists within the broader context of its community. By tapping into the wealth of resources that abound beyond campus grounds, principals can weave a tightly knit safety net that buoys student learning. If the adage "It takes a village to raise a child" is true, then certainly raising schoolwide achievement is largely dependent upon the active involvement of local businesses, organizations, institutions, and parents. Cultivating strong alliances with community members entails a systemic, goal-centered outreach program-and this comprehensive guide outlines proven, practical strategies for effectively launching, implementing, and sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships. It highlights straightforward best practices for: Reaching out to parents, including specific involvement activities; Building community relationships that support school initiatives, plus tips for leveraging the media; and Closing the achievement gap through community resources and reforms. This fourth volume in a seven-part leadership series features: Insightful questionnaire and response analysis Case study with reflective questions "What You Should Know About" sections framing each chapter Self-Assessment resources "In-basket Simulations" exploring real-life examples

A Principal's Guide to Special Education (3rd Edition)
A Principal's Guide to Special Education (3rd Edition)

Author: David F. Bateman

Publisher: Council For Exceptional Children

Published: 2014-01-01

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0865864799

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An essential handbook for educating students in the 21st century, since its initial publication A Principal's Guide to Special Education has provided guidance to school administrators seeking to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The third edition of this invaluable reference, updated in collaboration with and endorsed by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals and incorporating the perspectives of both teachers and principals, addresses such current issues as teacher accountability and evaluation, instructional leadership, collaborative teaching and learning communities, discipline procedures for students with disabilities, and responding to students' special education needs within a standards-based environment.

The Principal as School Manager, 2nd Ed
The Principal as School Manager, 2nd Ed

Author: William L. Sharp

Publisher: R&L Education

Published: 2003-07-14

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 081084740X

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Designed to teach the principal to become efficient and effective in accomplishing noninstructional roles, this book offers advice on expectations and survival techniques to ensure the principal's longevity in the district. Like the previous edition, it provides a practical guide to practice and procedure in these vital areas. This second edition has updated the chapter on law dealing with pertinent issues such as: Internet usage, drug testing, off-campus searches. Other chapters include topics on: the role of the assistant principal, the importance of maintaining safe schools in a climate of violence, the relationship between the principal and the superintendent. Will be appropriate for graduate courses in the principalship, educational administration, educational leadership, and personnel administration.