School of Thought Blog

Advocacy Update

Time to Gear Up for this Year’s National Principals Month!

This October, join NASSP, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators in honoring our nation’s principals during National Principals Month! Throughout the month, we urge schools, states, and government officials to make a concerted effort to recognize the impact principals have on student achievement and school success, and to show their appreciation for these tireless leaders. There are countless ways to participate and show your support for school leaders! (more…)

July 31, 2017

Education Policy Other

Hey, High School Principal: Take a Hint from Your Students

Guest post by Annette Wallace

Like many high school principals, I find myself always thinking about how I can be a better leader. I read books, stalk amazing principals’ social media accounts, and pick the brains of great principals about ways to be a more effective leader. I am obsessed with being the best principal I can be! As I was walking down the hallway today, the thought occurred to me: What if I stopped, looked, and listened to the hints and lessons my students were giving me on how to be better principal? (more…)

July 27, 2017

Building Culture Relationships

Decriminalize Misbehavior and End the Pipeline to Prison

Guest post by Amber Schroering

A teacher friend of mine recently wrote that a former student is under investigation for severely beating his girlfriend’s seven-month-old son, who is not expected to live. Upset and angry, my friend struggled to reconcile this terrible news with the memory of his student: (more…)

July 25, 2017

Building Culture Communication Equity Leading Learning Results-Orientation

Advocacy Update

The 2018 Advocacy Conference Has Been Announced!

Didn’t get enough advocacy information at the National Principals Conference? Then you’ll be happy to know that NASSP has officially announced the 2018 Advocacy Conference! This conference will offer educators the ability to speak directly with the NASSP advocacy team; the chance to hear from some of our nation’s greatest thought leaders in education; and an opportunity to meet with members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. Best of all, registration for the conference is free! (more…)

July 24, 2017

Education Policy Other

Words Matter

Guest post by Jay R. Dostal

A friend and colleague of mine recently shared a project that another school did and I was overcome with emotions after watching it. I challenge you to view it and not feel the heartstrings being pulled as you see the looks on the faces of each of these kids. It inspired me to do the project at my own school and the results, in my opinion, were even more powerful because they were my kids. (more…)

July 20, 2017

Building Culture Communication Relationships

Advocacy Update

Influence NASSP Policies by Commenting on Position Statements

Last week, the NASSP Board of Directors approved a new position statement on the nationwide teacher shortage. The board also chose teacher leadership, privatization, and teacher quality as topics for future position statements. As these statements are drafted and go through the approval process, NASSP will be seeking your opinions. (more…)

July 17, 2017

Education Policy Other

Ten Tips for Public Education Advocacy

Guest post by Mark Whitaker

Politics and public education have an interesting relationship. Various political groups use the public schools as a battleground to sort out legal and social issues, politicians champion or decry public education as part of a larger political platform, and state and federal legislatures pass laws and allocate funds based on their perceptions and opinions of public education. (more…)

July 13, 2017

Education Policy Other

Promoting Positive Behavior through the PARRT Program

Guest post by Jeff Schneekloth

One of the best ways school leaders can encourage positive behavior is by recognizing it when we see it. Too often, we spend so much time documenting student misbehaviors that we forget to acknowledge students when they are doing something right. Since 2011, I have had the privilege of leading Taft Middle School’s PARRT Program, which works to identify all of the positive acts and accomplishments our students do. (more…)

July 11, 2017

Other

Advocacy Update

Tell Your Senators to Protect the Nation’s Most Vulnerable Children

Last month, congressional leaders unveiled their Affordable Care Act repeal bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Under this proposed legislation, dramatic cuts to the Medicaid program will prevent schools from providing comprehensive services for students. NASSP urges you to contact your senators on this issue by participating in our newest action alert. (more…)

July 10, 2017

Education Policy Other

Advocacy Update

Tell Your Senators to Protect the Nation’s Most Vulnerable Children

Last month, congressional leaders unveiled their Affordable Care Act repeal bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Under this proposed legislation, dramatic cuts to the Medicaid program will prevent schools from providing comprehensive services for students. (more…)

July 5, 2017

Education Policy Other

How Will You Unconference?

Learning doesn’t just happen in a lecture-style setting with a speaker addressing an audience. Unconferences provide an alternative to traditional conference programs, allowing you to collaborate and learn from one another in informal, flexible, and inspiring ways. (more…)

July 5, 2017

Other

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize—But Give the Rest to the Players

Guest post by Robert Nolting

Great coaches have a notebook, clipboard, or corkboard in their office with the big picture written down. Then, they let the players, assistant coaches, and others run with great ideas to make it happen. Principals should take cue. It is our job to create a vision for our school, but it is our teachers, students, and parents who develop the details and make our vision a reality. (more…)

June 29, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning Other Principal/Teacher Preparation Strategic Management Vision & Mission

Parent University: A Formula for Success in Math

Guest post by Derek Fialkiewicz

In my life before I was a school administrator, I was a math teacher. In most parent-teacher conferences, I listened to parents explain their struggles to help their children with math: (more…)

June 27, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Advocacy Update

Tell Your Senators to Protect the Nation’s Most Vulnerable Children

Last week, congressional leaders unveiled their Affordable Care Act repeal bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Under this proposed legislation, dramatic cuts to the Medicaid program will prevent schools from providing comprehensive services for students. (more…)

June 26, 2017

Education Policy Other

Interventions for Struggling Learners: Meeting Students Where They Are

Guest post by Michael Pflugrath

As schools work to support struggling learners, it is important for school leaders to reflect on the effectiveness of their intervention programs and strategies. How do we know whether the interventions are enough to help students? Do these programs and strategies meet students where they are and provide equal access for all students to learn? (more…)

June 23, 2017

Building Culture Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessments Equity Leading Learning Results-Orientation

Leverage the Three Ts: Talent, Transparency, and Timeline

Guest post by Robert Nolting

When I was hired as principal of Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, IL, in 2009, it was expected that I would bring needed changes to the school. Most of us in school leadership are hired under this same expectation, but principals succeed or fail based on one simple concept: Do they bring positive change to the school? If the changes we make are negative—or none at all—we tend to leave, either on our own or through the influence of others. So how can administrators be an agent for positive change in their schools? My advice for all school leaders is to leverage the Three Ts: talent, transparency, and timeline. (more…)

June 22, 2017

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Advocacy Update

Looking Back on the Title II Day of Action–You Can Still Help!

Educators are always seeking new ways to improve themselves to help better their students. Title II is one of the unique federal programs that supports educators in this endeavor. It provides federal funds to recruit, retain, and train high-quality teachers, principals, and school leaders. Unfortunately, these incredibly important funds were cut by $294 million in the FY 2017 budget and proposed for elimination in President Trump’s FY 2018 budget. (more…)

June 19, 2017

Education Policy Other

A Recipe for Success: Embracing Schoolwide Strategies to Promote an Academic Culture

Guest post by Susan Harrison-Rollins

I’m often asked for the recipe to a high-performing school. It’s a question that’s hard to answer. Of course, the recipe begins with a dedicated staff ready to embrace the many changes that come with education. And it helps to have a motivated group of students who have accepted a culture of learning. A school becomes a high-performing school when it has, through a clear and shared focus, high standards and expectations for all students, effective school leadership, high levels of collaboration and communication, frequent monitoring (of both learning and teaching), focused professional development, and a supportive learning environment with high levels of family and community involvement. Beyond these things, and maybe most important, it is paramount to devise a set of schoolwide strategies that become embedded and essential to the academic culture. (more…)

June 15, 2017

Leading Learning Reflection & Growth Strategic Management Vision & Mission

Gaining Inspiration at the National Principals Conference

Inspiration is the reason why, every year, I look forward to attending the NAESP conference. While at the conference, I have always wondered what it would be like to attend a leadership conference that included school leaders representing Pre-K through grade 12. I thought how great it would be to collaborate with colleagues who would lead our students on the next part of their educational journey. How great would it be to hear speakers and attend workshops about topics and issues that we all face as we lead in the 21st century? It would be eye-opening and inspiring to hear about the kinds of things students in secondary schools are learning and doing. (more…)

June 14, 2017

Leading Learning Other Principal/Teacher Preparation Reflection & Growth

Advocacy Update

On June 14, Stand Up for Principals—Participate in the Title II Day of Action!

Educators need the ability to better themselves in order to drive student achievement. Title II of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers educators this opportunity by providing federal funds to recruit, retain, and train high-quality educators. ESSA originally authorized Title II funds at $2.295 billion, a number that would make a positive impact for schools across the nation. However, Title II saw a drastic $249 million reduction for FY 2017. (more…)

June 12, 2017

Education Policy Other