Advocacy Agenda: September 2024
Serving as a middle school principal for 16 long years feels like a lifetime, but I have absolutely loved every bit of it. As a matter of fact, I often joke with people that when I retire, I’m going to write a book titled, Confessions of a Middle School Principal: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up. I have experienced everything a principal can from the most joyful moments to times that still make me cry just thinking about them.

The principalship is one of the most misunderstood roles, and some say the loneliest. We are buffers between our central office administrators, our staff, and community. We are expected to know everything—the curriculum in all subjects, instructional best practices, new state laws and statutes, and anything new and upcoming in education, which happens all too quickly. We must balance politics with school decisions while acting as role models. Those who have been principals know what I am talking about. At times, we can become comfortable doing the mundane principal work as we have always done. But I challenge you to seek more. I myself did a few years ago, when I stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered a whole other world to school leadership that I was missing out on.
In 2021, I was named the Indiana Principal of the Year, and that same year, I began serving on the executive committee of my state’s principal association, the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP). Through those experiences, I found my voice; I realized I had something to say. But that wasn’t always the case. Like many of my colleagues, my focus had been on my day-to-day job responsibilities: providing professional development, inspiring staff, and teaching students. I sat on the sidelines and watched things happen in education not realizing that I, too, can have influence.
I have always been a member of IASP, even as an assistant principal. Over the years, I have attended and facilitated conferences and participated in professional development and seminars for the organization, but I was not fully invested. In 2021, IASP sought a middle school principal to serve on the executive committee. The job entailed first serving as a vice president, then president elect, then president, and eventually past president. I thought long and hard before I applied, due to the four-year commitment, the numerous meetings, and the requirement to attend both local and national conferences.
However, I understood the assignment as I am a lifelong learner, a service-oriented person, and someone who is deeply committed to school leadership, all of which align with the mission of the organization. After discussing the role with my family and school community, both of whom wholeheartedly supported me, I applied, interviewed, and was offered the position of vice president. I took my seat at the table.
Advocating for Our Profession
Last school year, I served as IASP president. In that role, I was a conference facilitator and presenter at both our assistant principal and principal conferences, where I met national presenters, such as Robyn R. Jackson, Jimmy Casas, and Jon Gordon to name a few. I have attended many district meetings throughout my state to learn about the concerns of our members. Through IASP, I have presented topics based upon the School Leadership Paradigm to the Indiana New Administrator Leadership Institute, the state’s Aspiring Principals and Emerging Leaders programs, and the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township and South Bend LEAD programs.
I am on the forefront of preparing and shaping school leaders, which brings me immense joy. IASP supports the Principal-for-a-Day program, and this past school year, I invited Indiana Speaker of the House Todd Huston to my school, and I was able to share with him my thoughts on cell phones in schools, truancy/attendance concerns, and changing math curriculum. I am on the State Secretary of Education’s Advisory Council, and I meet with our Secretary of Education, Katie Jenner, to discuss high school re-design, the science of reading, and middle school-credited courses. We collaborate to find solutions on how we can support teachers, principals, and schools.
I sat on the sidelines and watched things happen in education not realizing that I, too, can have influence.
The year I became president, NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe and Immediate Past President Aaron Huff (my Indiana friend) attended my celebration. It doesn’t get much better than that. Their influence is immense, and I was honored they came to celebrate with me.
I have also used my platform to share my personal stories. My articles, “Protecting our Profession,” and “Leading While Black,” have been published in this magazine, and my post about mom guilt was published on the School of Thought Blog. Education Week also published my articles, “Why One Principal Is Asking Her Staff to Do Less” and “When Women Hold Each Other Back: A Call to Action for Female Principals.” I have received emails and letters from people who shared how my words resonated with them. I have been asked to present on a national level about the topics that I write about, invited to speak on a podcast, and asked to participate in writing a book. This has all been a dream come true.
I have also had the pleasure of working at the national level with NASSP. Last school year, NASSP Board Member Ben Feeney and I facilitated the Aspiring Principals Network to work with future leaders from around the country. I also had the honor of facilitating at the Ignite Conference in July 2023 in Denver. I served on the NASSP Nominating Committee and worked with amazing educators such as NASSP Board Members Beth Houf and Marcus Belin who I have learned so much from and consider lifelong friends.
Advocating with NASSP to change education policy has been especially meaningful. For the past three years, I have met Indiana legislators on Capitol Hill during the National School Leaders Advocacy Conference, sharing the joint NASSP and NAESP federal legislative agenda. There is nothing like speaking to lawmakers and sharing our stories on the teacher shortage, student and staff mental health issues, school safety, and the need for additional funding for professional development. As advocates, we show that we are a united front fighting for our profession.
One year while at a conference in Washington D.C., I had the honor of meeting U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona at the Department of Education, where principals and National Honor Society student leaders from around the country worked together on activating student agency and voice. When given the opportunity, our students can do amazing things.
Get Involved
Principals are powerful. The impact we have can be transformational when we take advantage of the opportunities that both the local and national organizations provide. My principal experiences and influence extend well beyond my building, and it has been so rewarding. I urge you not to be a bystander when you have so many opportunities to positively impact our profession.
Education needs you. I challenge you to stay involved, keep your memberships current, attend conferences, and consider how you can elevate your own voice. Stay connected with like-minded, visionary school principals. I am a much better leader now than I ever was. Our job is not easy, but it is always better when we work together. So, bring your seat, stool, rocking chair, bench, recliner, or whatever you have to the table. There is room for all of us.
Crystal Murff Thorpe, PhD, is the director of teaching and learning for grades 6–8 at the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in Indianapolis, IN. She is the former principal of Fishers Junior High School in Fishers, IN, and the past president of the Indiana Association of School Principals.