NHS Makes a Difference

National Honor Society chapters enable students to improve their schools, help others, and make their voices heard. The most effective chapters bring together students, advisers, and principals, as the following contributors from Prince George’s County, MD, make clear:

  • Principal Melissa McGuire at Gwynn Park High School says the chapter at her school has helped shift the culture toward high achievement by showing that it’s cool to be smart.
  • Adviser Michele Smith at the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College helped rebuild the school’s chapter after years of inactivity to the point where it is by far the largest membership organization on campus.
  • Student Ryan Travers at Oxon Hill High School loves how the tight-knit chapter at her school gives students an opportunity to make a difference in their school and in their community.

Leading with Tech (and Learning From Disney)

Mark Erlenwein, the principal of Staten Island Technical High School in Staten Island, NY, is a die-hard Disney fan, and he thinks some of the practices that have made the company successful can be adapted to any school setting. Disney’s “chain of excellence” has four parts schools can learn from:

  1. Leadership Excellence. If leaders take care of their people (cast members/faculty and staff), they will take care of their guests (students and families) in return.
  2. Cast Excellence. Treat employees/cast members (faculty and staff) like customers/guests (students and families). Solicit information from everyone, while recognizing and honoring employees for how they contribute to the overall school experience.
  3. Guest Satisfaction. Build time into your schedule to interact with others and build relationships.
  4. Repeat Business. Pay attention to what people are saying. Monitor what faculty, staff, students, families, and the public at large are thinking and saying about your school through surveys, focus groups, and—to varying degrees—even social media.

The Power of Student Voice

Truly listening to students and valuing what they have to say has become an increasingly important part of successfully leading a school. In a roundtable discussion, three school leaders share how they have prioritized student voice. These leaders include Brian Fleischman, the principal of Overton Public School in Overton, NE, and the 2022 Nebraska Principal of the Year; Andrew McMillan, the principal of Chapman High School in Inman, SC, and the 2022 South Carolina Principal of the Year; and Stephanie Silman, the principal of Sahuarita Middle School in Sahuarita, AZ, and the 2022 Arizona Principal of the Year.

Growing the Circle

After spending 25 years in public education—all in the same school district—S. Kambar Khoshaba moved to another district to grow his circle of perspective and to better understand and be more inclusive of other cultures. As the new principal of South County High School in Lorton, VA, Khoshaba realized that he needed to focus on a few key areas rather that tackling many issues simultaneously. To that end, he used an approach he calls “REV.” The acronym stands for:

  • Relationship building
  • Being Equity-minded with our practices
  • Listening intently to stakeholder Voice