Leadership | School of Thought

Principals Lead the Fight for a Diverse Teacher Workforce

Posted by NASSP on October 30, 2019

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 were his reality. As a young black man growing up in Florida, Cory didn’t have a black teacher until his junior year of college. Now, as a principal, that experience is never far from his mind. He’s constantly thinking of new ways to recruit more people of color into education to ensure that his students benefit from a diverse faculty. During National Principals Month, Cory reflects on the key role principals can play in diversifying the teaching profession. (more…)

The Principal’s Greatest Asset: Public Trust

Posted by JoAnn Bartoletti on September 24, 2019

Good news, principals. It might not always feel like it, but you actually enjoy quite a bit of trust from the American public. A recent report from the Pew Research Center, in fact, identified principals as the most trusted leaders in our country’s most prominent institutions—more than elected officials, religious leaders, military leaders, tech leaders, journalists, and police. (more…)

School Leaders Share How They Create Supportive and Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ Students

Posted by NASSP on March 11, 2019

In September 2018, NASSP and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced a partnership to highlight the important role that principals have in striving for educational equity, with a focus on safety and inclusion for LGBTQ students. As part of this work, Dr. Beverly Hutton, NASSP’s deputy executive director for programs and services, led a team of four school leaders to the sixth annual Time to THRIVE Conference in February, where they had an opportunity to build awareness and cultural competency, learn current and emerging best practices, and gather resources from leading experts and other national organizations in the field. (more…)

Three Qualities to Look for in a Mentor

Posted by NASSP on November 7, 2018

In a recent Q&A I host weekly with Danny Bauer, we talked about the importance of having a coach, or mentor, to help you become a better leader. (more…)

Four Ways to Expand Your Influence as a Principal

Posted by NASSP on October 10, 2018

A principal’s influence spreads far and wide—impacting students, faculty, staff, parents, and the entire community. I have been blessed to serve as a school administrator for the past twenty years. As the principal of Pottsgrove High School, I take this responsibility seriously and value the power I have to make a positive impact. I am constantly looking for ways to increase my influence and to expand opportunities for our students. I grow so much as a leader when I learn what other leaders are doing. I encourage you to check out how these leaders are expanding their reach, work, and opportunities for students.

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Recalibrate Your School’s Opening During #1st3days

Posted by NASSP on August 8, 2018

Guest post by Brian McCann

It’s taken me nearly 15 years to get the opening of school “right.”

And in all of the summer planning I did for more than a decade: the refreshing of the building, the supplies ordering, the school’s master schedule, I forgot the most important stakeholder of all: the children.

It wasn’t until I was engaged in a summer Twitter chat a few summer’s back that Craig Vroom, an Ohio middle school principal, introduced me to the #1st3days.

The philosophy of #1st3days has a laser focus on relationship-building and brands from the opening bell that people are the heart of this high school.

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Prove It: Ensuring Efficacy in Digital Learning, Part Two

Posted by NASSP on July 25, 2018

Guest post by Eric Sheninger

In my last post, we explored the importance of demonstrating efficacy to build support for, and ensure the success of, your school’s digital transformation. The Rigor/Relevance Framework offers a strong overall framework to reinforce pedagogical foundations while also moving practice from isolated pockets of excellence to systemic elements that are scaled throughout the learning culture. With that context in place, the next challenge is putting in place the right structures and supports to ensure success.

Below are five key areas (essential questions, research, practicality, evidence/accountability, reflection) that can put your classroom, school, district, or organization on a path to digital efficacy. (more…)

Meet the 2019 Principal of the Year Finalists

Posted by NASSP on July 23, 2018

NASSP is excited to announce the 2019 NASSP National Principal of the Year finalists. The selected principals hail from South Carolina, Illinois, and Montana and exemplify how truly important the role of the school leader is to school and student success.

Our extraordinary finalists are: (more…)

Flipped Staff Meetings: Great Advice to Give and Follow

Posted by NASSP on July 17, 2018

Guest post by Paul Hermes

“You should try to make your classroom more student-centered and interactive. Don’t talk at your students so much.”
“Do you think you could integrate the concepts of the flipped classroom to optimize student learning time?”
“How much input do you give your students in choosing what, where, and how they learn?”

As a school administrator, have you ever said something like this to a teacher? My guess would be yes, you have. And if that is true, let me ask you why then do you, as a school leader, not practice what you preach when it comes to your own staff meetings and professional learning? Look at the questions above and replace “student” with “teacher.” If your evaluator asked you these same questions, would they apply to you as the teacher of your teachers? Does the idiom “do as I say, not as I do” fit? (more…)

Prove It: Ensuring Efficacy in Digital Learning, Part One

Posted by NASSP on July 11, 2018

Guest post by Eric Sheninger

I’ll never forget the day I presented my digital transformation plan to our superintendent at the time. I had spent days preparing and rehearsing all of my points, explaining the rationale for each new tool and making a strong budget case to secure the necessary resources. At the end of my presentation, the superintendent asked me point blank, “Can you prove it? What evidence do you have to demonstrate that all of this works?” These were fair questions that I had not fully anticipated. But at that moment in time, they provided the grounding that my school and I really needed. (more…)