Next to classroom instruction, the role of an effective school leader is crucial to the success of a school and its students. That’s why NASSP, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators have designated October as National Principals Month to honor principals nationwide. (more…)
School of Thought Blog
Get Ready for National Principals Month
Four Mindsets to LEAP Into Innovation
Guest post by Bill Ziegler
How can principals lead learning in a way where students want to run to school rather than away from it? This challenge can be daunting, but it’s one that requires our full focus as we strive to design schools where students see a practical and relevant connection, creativity being nurtured, and real-world problems being solved. This requires school leaders to think differently, to innovate, and to lead with courage. (more…)
The Importance of Staff “Floor Time” and Immersive School Leadership
Guest post by Chris Koch
As a parent of three young girls, I was introduced long ago to the concept of “floor time,” or getting down on the floor and playing with your kids. Through the years, I have been a student in my daughters’ classrooms, a customer at their homemade arts and crafts store, and a judge in a spontaneous dance off. Quality floor time is fun and helps me build deeper relationships with my daughters. It means so much more to my kids than just sitting on the couch and casually watching them play. (more…)
Advocacy Update
The 2018 Advocacy Conference Has Been Announced!
Have you ever wondered how you can serve your students beyond your school walls? Let us show you how at the 2018 Advocacy Conference! At this conference, school leaders will hear directly from some of the nation’s leading education thought leaders on the current policies shaping education in America. You will also have a chance to discuss these policies directly with your members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. Best of all, registration for the conference is free! (more…)
What an NFL Coach Can Teach High School Administrators
Guest post by Jay R. Townsend
What do NFL coaches and high school administrators have in common? Certainly not the pay or the publicity. But they both build people and teams. And you can learn a lot about how to build a winning school team from former NFL head coach Tony Dungy. I have been a huge fan of Dungy’s leadership style, and the lessons that I have learned from his book The Mentor Leader have helped me design a strong playbook for my students and staff. (more…)
Designing an After-School Program to Maximize Student Achievement
Guest post by Abbey Duggins
Saluda High School (SHS) works hard to ensure that all of our 600 students in rural South Carolina receive a high-quality education and possess the world-class knowledge and skills described in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. To accomplish this goal, we’ve expanded our academic programing so that all of our students—from the academically motivated to our most at risk—can access appropriate learning experiences that will help them realize their full potential. (more…)
Building CultureCurriculum, Instruction, & AssessmentsLeading LearningRelationshipsResults-Orientation
Making Collaboration Work
What do principals need to do their jobs more effectively? This is a question school administrators struggle with on a daily basis. The truth is that the best people to answer that question are the school administrators themselves. After all, they know their schools best and they know the unique nuances that may affect any new initiative. So, why not ask principals to create the tools they need to make their jobs easier? (more…)
Advocacy Update
Don’t Miss Today’s Webinar on Investing in Educators to Support Student Success
At 2:00 p.m. today, NASSP will be co-hosting a webinar with several other national education organizations titled, “How Investing in Teacher and Leader Professional Development Can Support Student Success.” During this webinar, researchers will share findings from a new review on professional development that improves students’ academic outcomes. (more…)
Make a Video to #ThankaPrincipal
National Principals Month (NPM) happens every October and is a month-long celebration of school leaders and what they do to help students succeed. We ask that you and your students join the celebration by participating in activities such as planning a celebration for your school leader, sending them e-cards, and posting about them on social media using #ThankaPrincipal. (more…)
Strong Leaders Find Time to Take Care of Themselves
Guest post by Annette Wallace
Thirteen days into my principalship, at the age of 30, I suddenly and violently lost my father. He struggled with mental health issues and alcohol addiction for years and tragically succumbed to suicide.
Don’t Even Think About It—10 College Application Essay Don’ts
Guest post By Marilyn G.S. Emerson
Are your students prepared for the upcoming college application season? Read the post below for expert advice you can provide to help them with what is perhaps the most stressful part of the application: the essay. In a recent National Honor Society (NHS) virtual college application essay writing workshop, Marilyn G.S. Emerson, a certified education planner, detailed strategies for students to discover their voice in writing. As a follow-up, Marilyn shares 10 common pitfalls that your students will want to avoid in preparing their college application essay.
Admissions representatives read hundreds of thousands of college essays. While there is no magic formula that makes for the perfect application, there are certain things students should avoid at all costs. Here are 10 essay “don’ts”: (more…)
Building Culturecollege admissionsCurriculum, Instruction, & AssessmentsLeading Learningpostsecondary education
Ten Tips to Build Stronger Relationships and Start the School Year Off Right
Guest post by Amber Rudolph
It’s that time of year again when parents count down the days until school begins, while their children sleep until noon, fight with their siblings, and abuse their screen time. Kids might not tell you, but they too are ready for the school year to begin. They miss their friends and school life. (more…)
College Application Essays: What a Principal Should Know
Guest post by Patrick O’Connor
One of the most interesting parts of being a school administrator is how many people expect you to know everything, and know it off the top of your head. This happened all the time when I was an assistant principal. In one quick walk down the front hallway, a parent would ask me what time the ninth grade volleyball game was next Thursday (6:00), a teacher would ask me when supply orders were due (last week), and a student would ask me what English teacher they should take next year (nice try). (more…)
Making Sense of the Data Madness
Guest post Ryan Rismiller
As I make plans for the upcoming school year, I review our school data. Though we’ve made considerable progress, the data says we’re not where we need to be. Despite our school team’s tireless efforts, we need to do more to narrow the achievement gap, raise graduation rates, improve math and English proficiency, and more. Frustrated, I ask myself, what more can we do to move the needle when it comes to our data? (more…)
Advocacy Update
Learn How Investing in Educators Can Support Student Success
On August 28, NASSP will be co-hosting a webinar with several other national education organizations titled, “How Investing in Teacher and Leader Professional Development Can Support Student Success.” During this webinar, researchers will share findings from a new review on professional development that improves students’ academic outcomes. (more…)
Collateral Culture: The School You Didn’t Know You Were Building
Guest post by Danny Steele
We all know the culture of our school is important, and you understand that building a strong one is how school leaders can impact student achievement. You intuitively understand that schools need to be safe; they need to foster collaboration; and they need to stay focused on the needs of the students. But don’t ever underestimate the small things you do on a daily basis that contribute to the strength of your school culture. (more…)
Systematic Intervention Placement for Incoming Ninth Graders
Guest post by Beth Middendorf
What else could I have done to support that freshman academically in the first six weeks of school? I found myself asking this question each time I transitioned a freshman class to Parkway West High School. By the time we had sufficient in-progress data to review, too many freshmen were already struggling academically. Repeatedly, I observed students’ confidence and effort levels decrease when I needed them to be open-minded to academic interventions. Because of our reactive approach to intervention placement, some freshmen were not able to recover and experience success. (more…)
Quarter Deposits and Dollar Withdrawals
Guest post by Jay R. Dostal
I am wrapping up what has been the most difficult year of my professional life. It was filled with a myriad of emotions, events, and circumstances that most people never get to experience in a lifetime, let alone in a single year. Between opening a new high school, having a staff member pass away as the school year started, and losing multiple students to suicide and other unfortunate accidents, I can honestly say that this year has been like no other. As principal, it is difficult to lead in circumstances like these because it ravages your school culture. Walking the halls and seeing students and staff struggling is painful. You want to put your arm around everyone and tell them that it is going to be OK, but at the same time, you are struggling too and questioning if things can return to normal. You are left wondering if your school culture can ever rebound. (more…)
2018 Principal of the Year Finalists Named
Three principals—one from South Carolina, Illinois, and Georgia—have been named as finalists for NASSP’s 2018 National Principal of the Year (POY) award.
The NASSP Principal of the Year program honors state principals from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools, and the Department of Defense Education Activity. Out of these exceptional school leaders, three are selected as finalists and one is ultimately selected for the National Principal of the Year award. Each year, the award is presented to an outstanding middle level or high school principal who has succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to their profession.
Moving from Analysis to Action—Building Capacity through Conversation
Guest post by David Johns
Numerous tools exist to help Professional Learning Communities (PLC) grow. There are checklists to ensure that the right roles are assigned. There are accountability documents to ensure that teams meet on time and in a common location. There are even the four timeless guiding questions from Rick DuFour to keep PLCs focused on the work of improving achievement. So why then do most PLC conversations stall out once we’ve looked at student work? Why don’t we turn our attention to actions we need to take as educators to address what we see? (more…)