As I reflect on the years that I have been at Whaley School, we are graduating more students each year, we are offering more elective classes that tie into what students want to do after graduation, and our teachers are working hard to create amazing lessons in and out of the classroom—all things which help […]
Ways to Teach Resiliency
Building CultureWellness
Principals Lead the Fight for a Diverse Teacher Workforce
Black students who have just one black teacher in elementary school are significantly more likely to graduate high school and attend college. Yet, the chances of a black student—or any student of color—having a teacher who looks like them are unacceptably slim. For high school principal Cory Cain, these numbers aren’t just a statistic, they […]
Building CultureCollaborative LeadershipEquityHuman Capital ManagementLeading Learningteacher quality
Principal, Parent, and Partner: The Balancing Act of a School Leader
When I was child, I always wanted to juggle like the showstoppers in the circus and on television. I mastered juggling two balls (not that impressive, I know) but when the third ball entered the mix, I couldn’t control it, and I looked like a clown in the worst sense of the word. As school […]
Building CultureCollaborative LeadershipLeading LearningReflection & GrowthRelationships
Principal PPE Resources
Principals, are you prepared for the new student reporting requirements going into effect during the 2019–20 school year? As part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, states are now required to break down spending of local, state, and federal dollars for each school and calculate a per-pupil expenditure (PPE). The PPE must include actual expenses instead […]
Building CultureCollaborative LeadershipCommunicationEducation PolicyEquityLeading LearningOther
Leading from the Heart, the Mind, and a Place of Stability
As school leaders, we often feel pulled in many different directions and it can be difficult to navigate where we should be leading from. We must be careful to stay grounded and lead from the right place—otherwise, as a line from my favorite musical goes, we could easily be like a ship blown from its […]
Building CultureCollaborative LeadershipLeading LearningRelationshipsWellness
Assistant Principals: Strengthening The ‘Bench’ in School Leadership Pipelines
A National Board Certified Teacher, LaTanya Sothern, taught in Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland for 15 years. “I really felt I had more to offer as a leader,” she said during a Wallace Foundation podcast on school leadership. Serving as an instructional lead teacher gave Sothern “a little bit more training and a […]
Collaborative LeadershipHuman Capital ManagementLeading Learning
Congratulations to the 2020 National Principal of the Year
Each year, the NASSP National Principal of the Year program recognizes outstanding middle level and high school principals who have made amazing contributions to their profession and to students’ learning. Kerensa Wing, principal of Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, GA, is the 2020 national winner.
Building CultureCollaborative LeadershipEquityHuman Capital ManagementInnovationLeading LearningOtherRecognition
2020 National Principal of the Year
Kerensa Wing Collins Hill High SchoolSuwanee, GA Grades: 9–12Students: 2,065Region: Suburban Kerensa Wing believes that every student deserves a great teacher, which is why she embodies human capital management as well as strategic management to make a concerted effort to hire teachers who are content experts and student-focused in their approach. She believes the classroom teacher has an […]
OtherRecognition
Four Questions to Ask Teachers on Creativity
How do you lead and model creativity? That’s a question many school leaders ask themselves. Many of us can get our arms around collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, but why is it that creativity is one area where we frequently struggle and sputter? I think it’s because we fear creativity—it doesn’t fall into a nice […]
Curriculum, Instruction, & AssessmentsLeading LearningReflection & Growth
2019 National Principal of the Year
2019 National Principal of the Year Dr. Lucas Clamp River Bluff High SchoolLexington, SC Grades: 9–12Students: 2,065Region: Suburban Lucas Clamp fosters a culture that stems from a unique desire to connect with each student, developing their skills and talents, and believing their individual and collective contribution to a local and global community will change the world. One student […]