At the start of the 2017–18 school year, I challenged our staff at Cedar Crest Middle School (CCMS) to tell the story of our school—to showcase the learning that was happening, the community that we were building, and the positive aspects of our school that were occurring every day—through social media. Our staff quickly took to Twitter and started to tweet regularly. It was awesome, and I was proud of our staff for embracing this challenge. (more…)
School of Thought Blog
Tell Your School’s Story on One Platform With Wakelet
Three Self-Care Practices That Promote Work-Life Balance for School Leaders
As a school leader, I wear many hats. I am the instructional leader, a teacher of children and adults, a marriage counselor, a mediator, a social worker, a miracle worker, and an out-of-the-box thinker. I’m an email writer, a schedule master, a reminder, talent developer, disciplinarian, therapist, negotiator, mediator, and perpetual cheerleader. No two days are the same and a day is never dull, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. (more…)
Announcing the Advocacy Champion of the Year
Tonight during the opening reception of the 2019 NASSP Advocacy Conference, Dan Richards, principal of Georgetown Middle High School in Georgetown, MA, was announced as the first-ever NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year! (more…)
Education Suffers Severe Cuts in President Trump’s FY 2020 Budget
On March 11, President Trump released the FY 2020 President’s Budget, which includes proposed spending levels for the 2020–21 school year. Like in past budget proposals, the president called for steep cuts across the board to many non-defense discretionary programs, including education. Counting cuts to Pell Grants and all other education programs, the total cuts for the Department of Education (ED) would be $8.8 billion in FY 2020, or 12.5 percent lower than ED’s enacted FY 2019 budget. Many of NASSP’s priority programs would suffer cuts, while others would only receive level funding: (more…)
The Makerspace: A Catalyst for Change
At Mackenzie Middle School in Lubbock, TX, makerspace has transformed learning through innovative, self-directed, and meaningful experiences for all of our students. What exactly is a makerspace, and what value can it bring into schools? (more…)
Creating a Culture of Nourishing Relationships
So much of the principalship is rooted in ever-evolving data, never-ending checklists, and meeting the needs of stakeholders. However, most know that true growth and success come from the ability to not only manage the aforementioned items, but also to create a culture that invites and nourishes relationships. During the infancy of my principalship, I have been pleasantly surprised at the growth of our school family. In reflection, sharing my why, inviting others to share theirs, and creating meaningful opportunities to grow relationships has made a profound difference. (more…)
School Leaders Share How They Create Supportive and Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ Students
In September 2018, NASSP and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced a partnership to highlight the important role that principals have in striving for educational equity, with a focus on safety and inclusion for LGBTQ students. As part of this work, Dr. Beverly Hutton, NASSP’s deputy executive director for programs and services, led a team of four school leaders to the sixth annual Time to THRIVE Conference in February, where they had an opportunity to build awareness and cultural competency, learn current and emerging best practices, and gather resources from leading experts and other national organizations in the field. (more…)
Global Change Through Local Action: Why I Became an Adviser
My students fell in love with serving their local community and it made them part of something much bigger.
When the National Honor Society (NHS) adviser at my school retired after 15 years, she turned to me with the request that I lead her NHS students. She admitted it would take a ton of time and even more energy, but that it would be the most rewarding job of my life.
She was right. (more…)
Building Leaders: One School’s Approach
As administrators, we are tasked with building the capacity of teacher leaders. But what exactly does teacher leadership look like? In The What, Why, and How of Teachers as Leaders, teacher leaders are described as “skilled classroom educators (who) hone their craft, mentor others, and grow professionally—while keeping one foot firmly inside the classroom.” So what can we do to build leaders while keeping them in our classrooms? The answer lies in the way we look at professional learning. (more…)
4 Tips About Innovation From #PrinLeaderChat
Do you want to grow professionally, discover ideas and insights from innovative leaders, and maximize your time? Tune in and participate in #PrinLeaderChat, NASSP’s Twitter #edchat held on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. (ET) and 6:00 p.m. (PT). This #edchat is an awesome way to connect with some of the nation’s best school leaders and share thoughts and ideas. Chats are guest moderated by Digital Principals, State Principals of the Year, and other thought leaders in education. Perhaps you haven’t participated because of login issues or your schedule doesn’t allow you to join. To help you see what you’ve been missing, I’ve curated the top four ideas from our recent conversations about innovation in schools: (more…)
Five School Technology Hacks to Improve Communication With Stakeholders
We lead busy lives as administrators, with items getting added daily to our already busy to-do lists. How do we keep up? Why not use the power of technology to communicate with all stakeholders in an efficient, consistent manner? That is not to say that phone or face-to-face conversation should be replaced, nor should the letter home or the programs that give students a tangible certificate. However, immediate feedback is something that we teach our staff at Governor Livingston High School to employ in their classrooms, so let’s develop ways for school leaders to do the same in our buildings. (more…)
2019 Assistant Principal of the Year Finalists Announced
Every year, NASSP recognizes assistant principals from across the country for their exemplary efforts in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students. The National Assistant Principal of the Year (APOY) program selects three finalists from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, and the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools.
We are excited to announce the three finalists for 2019. (more…)
Designing and Implementing a Flexible Modular High School Schedule
Before opening in 2013, River Bluff High School (RBHS) was architecturally designed and academically planned for a flexible modular schedule. Instead of a traditional bell schedule, we wanted a new approach that provided space for students to develop skills such as time management, collaboration, and independent decision making. We wanted RBHS to be a place that empowered students and placed the leadership of learning into their hands. We wanted to create a true learning environment where time benefited both students and teachers. (more…)
College Opportunities and Success: Creating a Robust Dual-Enrollment Program
My belief in the necessity of an equitable education is summed up in my motto: “all-in for all students.” When students achieve, we all achieve and are inspired to strive for greater success. At Pelion High School (PHS), we are proud of our quality programs that elevate each student; from At-Promise to AP, we have a plethora of programs to support students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic needs. (more…)
What FOMO looks like at Glenpool High School
After attending the 2018 National Principals Conference, I had a renewed vision of what kind of school I wanted to give my students. As principal of Glenpool High School (GHS), I had always focused on building positive relationships with students, but I wanted to take it a step further. (more…)
Share Your Passion with Students: School-Wide Clubs
A maximal learning environment cannot exist without students feeling safe and connected with their teacher in the classroom. But teachers quickly get caught up with the demands of covering curriculum and meeting mandates. Most times, it is easier to conform to the system instead of infusing our individual personalities into our school lives. (more…)
Making Connections: Lighting a Fire in Your Staff and Students
I am not a camper, so I am in no way an expert on building a fire, but I do know (thanks to my high school science classes) that in order for fire to ignite, it needs three elements: heat, fuel and oxygen. On the flip side, being a school leader is something I do know, and culture is something that is talked about all over leadership blogs, articles, books, and tweets. Culture is way more than just a buzzword. Culture is the heart of a school, and the difference-maker between success and failure. (more…)
It’s Not About You! Keeping Perspective During Difficult Conversations
A day in the life of a principal can be fraught with difficult discussions that require a careful approach. You have likely found yourself in a conversation which caused you to feel anxious, stressed, or even angry. Although these emotions are natural, they can limit your ability to see problems clearly and prevent your openness to different solutions. After experiencing numerous challenging interactions, I have realized that I need to find ways to focus on these conversations and remove any emotional response so that problems can be solved effectively. (more…)
Truancy Task Force: Don’t Fight Attendance Problems Alone
At Lakeland Union High School, our absenteeism rates used to be substantially higher than state averages. Year after year, someone—usually an assistant principal or dean of students—was always working hard on addressing our truancy cases. Despite our efforts, nothing we did dramatically affected the number of students habitually missing school. To break this cyclical pattern, our administrative team decided to take a different approach to curb attendance problems. (more…)
Become the School’s Head Coach by Fostering Teacher Leadership
As a former coach, the value of team and usage of each person’s strengths has always been etched in the forefront of my thinking and planning. Now as a school leader, this same concept has been a driving force in my thought process. My field is my school, and my team is my teachers. Instead of winning a game or a title, our victories are measured by student success. Though my title says principal, to me I am nothing more than the school’s head coach. (more…)