For National Principals Month, we are highlighting school leaders who have made valuable contributions to their schools and communities. A few of the people they’ve impacted the most tell their inspiring stories. This week, instructional coach Magdalena Mata shares about her principal, Dr. Beto Hinojosa.
Category: The Principalship
A Principal Who Brings Joy to the Job
Promoting Kindness and Preventing Bullying in Middle School
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and I want to share how I have worked hard over the years to promote kindness in school. It started about 15 years ago, when I first became principal of Colony Middle School in Palmer, AK. At the time, it was pretty apparent that we needed to work on […]
A Reflection on Stepping into the Light
When I accepted my Principal of the Year award at the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators’ (OASSA) conference earlier this month, I spoke about the importance of female representation in school leadership. I also shared how preparing my remarks for the event was incredibly challenging because of how strongly I feel about this work […]
How Our Principal Shows He Cares
For National Principals Month, we are highlighting school leaders who have made valuable contributions to their schools and communities. A few of the people they’ve impacted the most tell their inspiring stories. This week, Alexis Morada shares about her principal, Derek Bellow.
Together, We Are Stronger
This National Principals Month, I want to say thank you. Thank you for your strength and stamina in these tumultuous and uncertain times. From the pandemic to politics, there’s no doubt that being a principal has become increasingly challenging these past few years.
Social Media Is Essential for Communicating with Students
I have always thought of social media as a place for schools to post school information and archive great memories of student achievement and activities. Like many districts, in recent years, my district has received online threats, and inaccurate information has spread on social media about things allegedly happening in our buildings. Sadly, I have […]
Employee Assistance Programs Provide Valuable Mental Health Services
With all the concern lately about the mental health of students and school staff, school leaders should make sure they are taking full advantage of what can be a great resource in their districts: employee assistance programs, or EAPs.
A Homegrown Recruitment Program Helps Ease Staff Shortages
Other schools might be having trouble filling staff vacancies, but that’s not an issue at Haines City High School in Polk County, FL. We’ve been fully staffed since before the pandemic, and I don’t expect that to change.
My “Go-To” Tools for Leading My School
At the Maine Principals’ Association conference last month, I spoke about what I feel are the most important tools in an administrator’s toolbox. These are the tools I’ve relied on in my 28-year career as a school leader. As the school year draws to a close and you take some much-needed time to rest and […]
How Oakland’s Teachers Secured $9.6M in Donated Resources
Last year, I became principal of Oakland High School, a diverse community of just over 1,500 scholars. I’m proud to say that we responded quickly to meeting students’ needs in the wake of COVID-19—Oakland High was the first school in the district to start distributing Chromebooks when the pandemic hit. And with the help of […]