Last summer, at the UNITED Conference in Nashville, we presented a session on changes we made to the school day schedule. As three principals within a large comprehensive high school district, we believe the work our district is doing around structuring the bell schedule is a good, meaningful change. In this article, we share why […]
Rethinking The School Day Schedule
Building CultureInnovationResults-OrientedVision and Mission
Raising Student Voice and Participation
When I was a high school principal, I always tried to listen to students and their ideas for activities, events, and ways to build school pride. However, it was not until a school-related tragedy that I focused on student voice and youth-adult partnerships. I will never forget May 22, 2016—the day one of our beloved […]
Elevating Student VoicesRSVP Program
Roundtable: Mentoring Aspiring Principals
Besides running their buildings, supporting students and staff, and serving their communities, principals also spend time mentoring assistant principals and encouraging talented teachers to pursue school leadership. To learn how principals approach their role as mentors and what early career support they received, Principal Leadership contacted Jean Berthiaume, co-principal of Winooski Middle and High School […]
Assistant PrincipalsMentorship
Viewpoint: October 2022
Providing all students access to quality teaching and learning experiences is a goal of all school leaders. And yet the world changed in March 2020, and principals’ attention and priorities shifted overnight. Issues of safety and well-being for both students and staff rightfully became their focus. Enabling teachers and students to connect virtually was a […]
Curriculum, Instruction, & AssessmentsResults-Orientation
The Emotionally Intelligent Leader
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher. In fact, when I was a little girl, when it rained, I played school on our back porch. My friends would come over, and I would teach them a lesson that my teachers taught using extra worksheets that my fifth-grade teacher saved […]
LeadershipMental healthWellness
Special Education: January 2020
“Career readiness” is the phrase of the moment, with many school districts prioritizing a pathway for students who may not be college bound. Career and technical education (CTE) programs have skyrocketed, with about half of U.S. high school students—8.3 million—enrolled in them in 2016–17, according to Department of Education data. Students with disabilities, however, are […]
BelongingCollege and Career ReadinessSpecial Education
Learning, Jobs, and Regional Stability
For many in rural America, it is challenging to find ways to educate and train students for the workforce in a small community. Promoting a rigorous career and technical education brings not just learning, but also jobs and future stability for the region. The community of Belle Fourche, SD, has about 6,000 residents with roughly […]
Career Connected LearningCommunity partnershipsPost-Secondary Readinessschool-community partnerships
Viewpoint: December 2020
What does a dedicated professional learning community look like, and how do we cultivate and facilitate it in our school? Is it possible to have a professional learning model in a comprehensive high school that is individualized, differentiated, and effective? Bringing Professional Development to Life Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas is a comprehensive […]
professional developmentprofessional learning communitiesprofessional learning networks
Emancipatory Education
Every child has unique characteristics and deserves a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. But what does this mean, and how do we as school leaders start the process of creating this environment within our schools? Current teaching methodologies that frame the teacher as the […]
BelongingBuilding CultureCommunicationCulturally Responsive PedagogyCurriculum, Instruction, & AssessmentsEquityEthicsGlobal-mindednessLeading LearningRelationshipsResults-Orientation
2017 State Assistant Principals of the Year
Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Office of Overseas Schools, and the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity will select one assistant principal to represent their state. State winners are selected from applications submitted to the state associations. Because each state’s selection process varies, please contact your state association for more information on their […]