Prevent Bad Social Media!

Posted on August 31, 2021 Written by

It’s often difficult for students (and occasionally even teachers!) to understand the long term effects of bad social media behavior. Schools are increasingly required to police their district’s online policies, which places them in a punitive role rather than a teaching role. As you can see from media stories about these situations, they’re bad for everyone involved.

That’s why principals have an increasingly responsibility for educating students, families, and teachers about the dangers of online conduct. This article offers some excellent solutions for addressing this timely issue. By educating and addressing these issues before they occur, you can not only avoid significant unpleasantness, but help to protect your students from actions that may impact them for the rest of their lives!

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Three Simple Ways to Support Teachers

Posted on August 17, 2021 Written by

Many teachers begin their career full of joy and excitement for the profession. But over the years, that enthusiasm can fade. How can a principal help teachers keep or rekindle the passion? How can you maximize time and resources while also keeping great educators in the classroom?

In this article, Darcy Bakkegard shares three things every administrator can do to encourage teachers … not only during these difficult times, but in the future years ahead. These three simple actions can lead to a happier, more productive, more passionate team.

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Effective Recruiting

Posted on August 3, 2021 Written by

A recent survey of principal preparation programs revealed that many only include one course on human resources (Holcombe, 2020), and the typical content of that course is simply human resources law. This leaves most principals completely underprepared to effectively recruit the personnel whose salaries and benefits make up over 80% of their total school budget!

In addition, numerous studies suggest that the collective impact of teachers and principals on student standardized achievement is well over 50% (Hattie, 2011). So how should principals approach this vital task?

This article offers four strategies for effectively recruiting and managing talent. As the authors note, “Building a principal’s capacity doesn’t end when that leader completes a program and receives a degree. Preparation, especially in terms of bringing strong teachers in and developing their strengths, must be an ongoing effort” (Holcombe, Peeples, and Johnson, 2021).

References:

Hattie, J. (2011). Visible learning for teachers. New York: Routledge.

Holcombe, A. A. (2020). Strategic talent leadership for educators: A practical toolkit. New York: Routledge.

Levin, J., & Quinn, M. (2003). Missed opportunities: How we keep high quality teachers out of urban classrooms. New York: The New Teacher Project.

RAND Education. (2012). Teachers matter: Understanding teachers’ impact on student achievement. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

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Four “Must-Do’s” for Principals

Posted on July 20, 2021 Written by

“There is no magic characteristic or tendency that leads people to become the perfect principal. But there are four things all empowered principals do that set them apart from the rest of their colleagues” (Caposey, 2021).

It’s important to note, however, that while these four characteristics are relatively simple, they can be very difficult to implement. In this article, Caposey explains how to address each of these areas effectively.

PJ Caposey is an award-winning educator, keynote speaker, consultant, and the author of eight books. He currently serves as the superintendent of schools for the nationally recognized Meridian CUSD 223 in Northwest Illinois.

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