A Primer for New Principals Guidelines for Success

by Kellough, Richard D.

• ISBN13: 9781578867486
• ISBN10: 1578867487
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-12
• Publisher: R&L Education

Summary

A Primer for New Principals is a current and concise guide for beginning principals on how to meet the demands of principalship. Information is organized by grade level and is relevant for principals of K-12 public, charter, or private schools. More than 100 references and recommended readings are also provided. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Important Things You Need to Know Up Front	p. 1
Have a Clear Understanding of Why You Were Hired	p. 1
If Not a "Hired Gun," Then What? Think Support!	p. 4
Your Initial Address to the Staff	p. 5
Set the Course, Observe, and Listen	p. 6
Show Only Respect for Your Predecessor (and Other Administrators)	p. 7
Inform Your Staff of Where You Stand and of What Is Not Negotiable	p. 8
Do You See Yourself as a Know-It-All or as an Educational Broker?	p. 8
You May Be Asked to Assume Additional Responsibilities	p. 9
Do Your Homework	p. 10
Don't Ignore the Larger Picture	p. 10
Becoming an Effective Leader	p. 11
Delegate Responsibilities: A Quality Characteristic of Effective Leadership	p. 12
Effective Time Management	p. 14
The Reflective Principal	p. 14
Leadership Styles: Understand the Ongoing Development of Your Own	p. 16
No Single Right Way for All Principals in All Schools	p. 18
Lead by Modeling	p. 19
Build and Maintain a Learning Community	p. 22
Take Good Care of Your Support Staff	p. 25
Avoid Playing Favorites	p. 25
Tweaking the Environment Can Sometimes Make a Big and Positive Difference in How People Interact	p. 27
Encourage Teachers to Assume Leadership Roles	p. 27
Create a School Leadership (Management) Team	p. 27
Engage the Faculty in Productive Dialogue and Meetings	p. 29
Professional Development as an Integral Part of Each Faculty Meeting	p. 30
Be a Multicultural Leader	p. 30
No Coward Ever Got the Great Principal Award: Be Prepared to Make the Tough Decisions	p. 35
Is the Principalship a Terminal Position?	p. 38
Your Areas of Responsibilities	p. 39
Your Ultimate Task	p. 39
It Is Helpful to Have a Mentor, Sometimes More Than One	p. 41
When Should I Seek Help?	p. 42
Coping Strategies: Avoiding Feelings of Aloneness	p. 43
Humor Is an Intelligent Behavior: A Principal Should Act Intelligent	p. 44
Knowledge, Behaviors, and Abilities Needed to Accomplish Your Task	p. 45
Sharing a Common Purpose	p. 47
Establish and Maintain Conditions That Support the School's Mission	p. 50
Celebrate and Acknowledge Often the Hard Work and Successes of Others	p. 50
Interacting with an Adult Who Is Angry: Have a Plan	p. 50
if You Have Assumed Principalship of a School That Needs Academic Improvements	p. 52
Effects of Neighboring Schools	p. 53
Students' and Teachers' Workdays and Responsibilities Sometimes Need Restructuring	p. 53
Be Patient; Don't Be in Too Great a Hurry to Implement Changes	p. 55
Maintain an Attractive and Functional Office	p. 55
Guideline for Phone and Mail Use	p. 55
Document Almost Everything	p. 56
Help Others to Become Comfortable with Data and Technology	p. 56
Ability to Multitask Is Paramount	p. 57
Your Life Away from School	p. 57
Be a Leader of New Leaders	p. 58
Is Being an Assistant or Vice-Principal a Necessary Predecessor to Becoming a Principal?	p. 59
Ensuring That Your School Is a Safe Place	p. 60
Safety Concerns Should Be Constantly on Your Mind	p. 60
Do Periodic Campus Building and Grounds Walkthroughs	p. 62
What to Do When an Injury Occurs	p. 62
Sometimes Schools Are Actually Dangerous Places	p. 63
Sex Offenders on Campus	p. 63
Preventative Interventions in Common Areas	p. 64
Develop a Program for Bully Awareness, Prevention, and Intervention	p. 64
Help Students to Safety Navigate the Web	p. 67
Ensure Playground Equipment Is Safe	p. 68
Responsible Teachers Establish, Maintain, and Teach Safety Procedures	p. 69
Prepare for Acts of Incivility at School Sporting Events	p. 70
Develop a Crisis Preparedness Plan	p. 70
Accusation of Inappropriate Sexual Conduct	p. 73
Your Own Ethical and Moral Behavior	p. 74
Providing Instructional Leadership	p. 75
Ensure That Your School Has the Best Teachers Possible-and Retains Them	p. 76
Purposes and Principles of Assessments within the School Setting	p. 77
Helping Teachers Improve: Observe and Listen	p. 78
Get Out of Your Office and into the Classrooms	p. 81
The Classroom Walkthrough	p. 81
Characteristics of the Competent Teacher	p. 84
Evaluate Staff Wisely, Remembering That the Past Is History	p. 87
When the Students Already Are Achieving at High Levels	p. 88
Insulate Staff from Angry Parents/Caregivers	p. 88
The Off-Site Community	p. 90
School-Community Partnerships Take Many Forms	p. 91
Seek Community Participation in the School's Mission	p. 94
Engage Parents and Caregivers: Reach the Hard-to-Reach	p. 95
Benefits from Efforts to Reach More Caregivers	p. 96
Use the School's Website to Its Fullest Potential	p. 97
Summary Self-Assessment: Characteristics of the Ideal Principal	p. 99
Glossary	p. 103
References and Recommended Readings	p. 113
Index	p. 123
About the Author	p. 127
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