School of Thought Blog

Digital Leaders Read to Succeed

Guest post by Bobby Dodd

I will always remember the first leadership book I read as an administrator. I had recently read Diane Coutu’s piece, “Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln” in the Harvard Business Review, discussing the greatest leadership characteristics of Lincoln. As I began to do more research on Lincoln and read more about his legacy, my wife purchased the book Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips. I can still remember the stories from Lincoln’s days as president and the knowledge I gained on leadership throughout the book. (more…)

December 6, 2017

Creating a Culture of Leadership in Schools

Guest post by Doug Crowley

As a principal, an assistant principal, or a director at a district office, leadership is sort of “there” for your taking; you are viewed as a leader by virtue of your title. At DeForest Area High School in Wisconsin, our “titled” leaders work hard to create a culture where staff and students feel comfortable and, dare say, entitled to find ways to lead. How can school leaders create this same culture of leadership and encourage their staff and students to take the lead? (more…)

December 5, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Advocacy Update

Register Today for the 2018 Advocacy Conference

Join principals from across the nation in Washington, D.C., March 19–21, for the 2018 NASSP Advocacy Conference. At this conference, you will have the opportunity to hear from some of the nation’s foremost education thought leaders. You will also receive federal advocacy training and the chance to use that training on Capitol Hill in meetings with your elected representatives in Congress.

Only Federal Grassroots Network (FGN) members may register. Registration for the conference is free, but attendees will be responsible for their hotel and travel costs. (more…)

December 4, 2017

Education Policy Other

A Principal’s Day Through the Lens of an Advocate

I started my day at Loudoun County High School (LCHS) in Leesburg, VA, feeling excited and a little nervous at the same time. Although I spend most of my days speaking on behalf of principals and advocating for their interests on Capitol Hill, I myself have never been an educator. And the last time I sat in a high school classroom was more than 20 years ago.

I was thrilled that LCHS Principal Michelle Luttrell was so quick to accept my request to shadow her for a day as part of our annual National Principals Month celebration. (more…)

December 1, 2017

Education Policy Other Recognition

Building Your School Leader Tribe

Guest post by Annette Wallace

My professional learning network—or as I like to call them, my tribe—is a group of people whose ideas, opinions, and research inform and motivate me as a school leader. I found most of these people online, but I also have used my online presence to develop more educationally meaningful relationships with educators in my district who I often don’t have time to work with face-to-face. I’ve come to appreciate that professional development is my responsibility and taking charge of my own learning has helped me improve as a leader in my own school and district, as well as the wider education community. (more…)

November 30, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Career Gears: Preparing Students Today for Tomorrow’s Opportunities

Guest post by Ryan Rismiller

With so much going on in education policy these days, it’s easy sometimes to lose focus of what matters most—students. At Graham High School, we are using a program we call Career Gears to provide relevant opportunities for our students district-wide. Working with stakeholders throughout the community, we create relevant experiences that can help students identify their career interests and build professional skills and relationships for the future. (more…)

November 28, 2017

Building Culture Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Change the Preposition: No More Choice “of” Schools, Choice IN Schools

Guest post by Kevin Lein

Throughout my career in education, various school choice initiatives have come and gone, but now school choice has the backing of our current political administration and Secretary DeVos. As a staunch advocate of public education, I am deeply troubled by these efforts to undermine and dismantle the progress we have made in our public schools. I believe that the solution to the question of school choice lies not in offering choices between schools, but rather in promoting choice initiatives within our public schools. (more…)

November 22, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Tips to Build a Culture of Innovation

Guest post by Jamie Richardson

School leaders talk often about innovation in education, but as much as we want it, we have to admit it’s hard to get past talking about it and actually change. Change is scary and uncomfortable. Even with well thought out plans, the outcome is unknown and the stakes are high. A far greater risk, though, is maintaining the status quo. But I have seen the power of change at LaCreole Middle School. Our stellar staff faces their fears, takes risks, and embraces new ideas so that we all work toward a true common goal. (more…)

November 21, 2017

Building Culture Communication Global-mindedness Innovation Leading Learning Relationships

Advocacy Update

Register Today for the 2018 Advocacy Conference

The 2018 NASSP Advocacy Conference will bring together principals from across the nation to advocate on behalf of their students, schools, and profession. By joining us on March 19–21, you will have the opportunity to hear from some of the nation’s foremost education thought leaders. You will also receive federal advocacy training and the chance to use that training on visits with your elected representatives in Congress on Capitol Hill.

(more…)

November 20, 2017

Education Policy Other

Take Time Out to Learn from Your Peers—and Help Your School in the Process

Guest post by Lenore M. Kingsmore

When I received the call that I was the New Jersey Principal of the Year, I was elated. Receiving my award in the nation’s capital would be a highlight of my career—and it was —but what was more important were the rich professional development opportunities I received that I had not imagined were possible. The NASSP Principals Institute breathed new life into me as a school leader, expanded my vision of leadership, and catapulted me into the 21st century of professional learning. (more…)

November 16, 2017

Leading Learning Other Principal/Teacher Preparation Reflection & Growth

Three “Secret” Ingredients for Building Strong Classrooms

Guest post by Amber Schroering

Brownsburg East Middle School (BEMS) is a community that takes great pride in the achievements of its students and staff. For many years, BEMS has topped the rankings for academic excellence in all of the areas of the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP). In fact, many visit our school and district to learn about our “secret sauce,” or how we consistently get high achievement from our students. One of our “secret ingredients” involves a commitment from our faculty to incorporate three classroom management techniques that ensure a strong culture conducive to high levels of learning. (more…)

November 14, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning Strategic Management

Advocacy Update

Registration is Open for the 2018 Advocacy Conference

As a principal, you have a unique perspective on the issues facing your profession, your school, and your students. Join us March 19–21 at the NASSP 2018 Advocacy Conference to gain the knowledge and training you need to share this perspective and use your voice to become a strong advocate for education. You will also get the opportunity to use these skills in meetings with congressional representatives and their staff on Capitol Hill. (more…)

November 13, 2017

Education Policy Other

Change Your Island Mentality Through Connected Leadership

Guest post by Winston Sakurai

At my school in Hawaii, we embrace the native mentality of “aloha”—which means we always welcome new people and ideas no matter where they are from. But at the same time, as we are literally living on an island, it can be hard to keep up with what is going on elsewhere. To overcome these challenges, I have worked hard to develop connected leadership behaviors that leverage technology to maximize time and performance. (more…)

November 8, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning Other Technology & E-learning

Cranium Crunch at Lunch: A Book Club to Increase Reading Levels

Guest post by Derek Fialkiewicz

I teach math as my father did before me, so I have always considered myself to be a “math nerd.” I find math fun and am proud of my students’ achievement, but when I became an assistant principal, I was forced to consider student achievement and learning outside of my math bubble. I came to better understand that while my students achieved in math, many were struggling as readers. This was a perfect opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and entice students to read. (more…)

November 7, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

That’s a Wrap for this Year’s National Principals Month

Our month-long celebration of National Principals Month has concluded and schools across the country took the opportunity to say “thank you” to their principals in really meaningful ways.

Video Contest

One way was through the student video contest, which challenged students to create fun short videos telling us why they love their principal. This year’s winners are: (more…)

November 6, 2017

Other Recognition

Advocacy Update

There’s Still Time to Participate in National Principals Month!

Another National Principals Month (NPM) is officially in the books, but you can still enjoy the month’s events on the NPM website. There you can find student video contest winners, a recording of the NPM Capitol Hill event, recordings of webinars, and much more. Afraid you missed your chance to recognize your principal now that October is over? Don’t worry—you can still send your school leaders e-cards, or use #ThankAPrincipal on social media. Help us honor principals all year. (more…)

November 6, 2017

Education Policy Other

Advocacy Update

This Week During National Principals Month

National Principals Month (NPM) is almost over, but we still have some informative events to help you wrap up the month!

October 30 webinar: Collaborative Leadership: 6 Influences That Matter Most (more…)

October 30, 2017

Education Policy Other

Cooling Down and Perking Up: Restorative Practices for Student Success

Guest post by John Bartlett

It was a normal morning during my second year as a teacher. I got to school early and went to the office to get my second cup of coffee before school started. On the way back to class, it happened—a girl fight. As an educator, you know what I am talking about. You also know that generally girl fights are much more difficult to separate than boy fights. As I stepped in between the two female combatants as their hands clutched at each other’s hair, one of the duelists knocked my coffee cup out of my hand to meet its ultimate demise on the tile floor. Coffee went everywhere including on the two girls. Long story short, their parents were not happy. They reported to the principal that I had poured coffee all over their “innocent” young ladies. (more…)

October 26, 2017

Building Culture Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Telling a 21st Century Learning Story Through Digital Portfolios

Guest post by Mike King

Last time I posted, I discussed Dodge City Middle School’s (DCMS) student-led conference initiative, which places students at the center of their own learning. This post, I will share how we’ve continued this important work and integrated digital portfolios that help students apply their learning experiences to the real world and foster digital citizenship and 21st-century learning skills. (more…)

October 25, 2017

Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessments Leading Learning Strategic Management

Let the Games Begin: Using Competition to Motivate the Students and Staff

Guest post by Chris Chitwood

As a coach, I believe that motivation is everything, and everyone is motivated by something. When our administrative team at Wilbanks Middle School in Demorest, GA, wanted to transform our culture to one of excellence in attendance, behavior, and academics, we decided to utilize competition as a way to motivate students and shift everyone’s focus to these three key areas. (more…)

October 24, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning