Navigating The Principalship

In Navigating the Principalship, James P. Spillane and Rebecca Lowenhaupt look at the major challenges of the principal position, examining how new principals adapt to the role, set an instructional agenda, and build cooperation and collaboration. They focus in particular on the dilemmas that mark the principalship—the inevitable, complicated conflicts that arise from a clash of worthwhile values and resist simple solutions, such as - Addressing the demands of various internal and external stakeholders - Accomplishing seemingly limitless tasks in limited time - Sharing leadership duties while maintaining ultimate responsibility for the school and everyone in it - Creating a safe space for teaching and learning while building bridges to the outside world - Balancing work life and home life Based on original research conducted with new principals in an urban environment, and rich with authentic voices discussing real conflicts and proven strategies, this book presents pragmatic ways to manage the most difficult parts of the job. Use it to spark both reflection and action and chart a course for effective, rewarding school leadership.

This text offers guidelines, checklists, advice from other principals, and reflections intended to make a principal's day on the job run more smoothly. Several themes are stressed throughout the book: school administration as a human-relations enterprise; increasing awareness of the principal's socialization process; the leader as a lifelong learner; viewing the school as an ecosystem; purposeful visibility; organizational/ethical alignment; celebrating student and faculty achievements; and the principal as a leader of instructional leaders. The text is divided into two parts. In part 1, "The Challenges and Problems Facing Rookie and Veteran Principals New to Their Schools," such topics as the loneliness of the principalship, the time juggernaut, expectations of the instructional leader, the complexity of relationships, and management concerns are addressed. In part 2, "Finding Solutions to the Challenges and Problems," the areas covered include becoming a lifelong learner, human relations and authentic communications, honoring the veteran staff, balancing leadership and management, and implementing a proactive behavioral program. (Contains an index and 89 references.) (RJM)

Principals are today’s newest superheroes, and every superhero needs a mentor. Daresh and Alexander offer encouragement in a practical hands-on guide to help principals navigate the challenges of leadership. Discover how to: Drive student learning as the primary mission of the school Deal with others’ expectations of you as principal Master the technical skills needed to run an efficient school Create and clarify a personal professional growth plan Work effectively with the greater community and parents Celebrate instructional and non-instructional staff in a positive school culture Don’t just survive. Read this guide and thrive!

An essential handbook for educating students in the 21st century, since its initial publication A Principal's Guide to Special Education has provided guidance to school administrators seeking to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The third edition of this invaluable reference, updated in collaboration with and endorsed by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals and incorporating the perspectives of both teachers and principals, addresses such current issues as teacher accountability and evaluation, instructional leadership, collaborative teaching and learning communities, discipline procedures for students with disabilities, and responding to students' special education needs within a standards-based environment.

Establish your goals as an assistant principal! Beginning the Assistant Principalship provides excellent tools to navigate your way as a new administrator. Full of ideas, this valuable resource helps you ask yourself the important questions, find answers, and develop strong plans of action. Some significant topics to help you in your new job include: Building a platform Developing leadership skills Carrying out management skills Maintaining balance and perspective Knowing your job Using effective disagreement to your advantage Building your profile as a leader Listening, listening, then listening some more

The second edition of The Principalship from A to Z provides a set of tools that can be used immediately to improve your leadership practice. Organized into 26 chapters—one for each letter of the alphabet—this book covers the most important and prevalent issues and skills for leaders in today’s schools, including matters of limited funding, juggling social media, teacher evaluation, student achievement, school safety, and collaborating with parents. This accessible guide offers specific strategies that will help you navigate the complexity of your job and help you to become a more effective principal. Topics new to this updated edition include: A renewed focus on student learning as the first priority of a principal and updated strategies for becoming a powerful instructional coach Information about restorative justice practices and other disciplinary approaches Timely new chapters on motivating teachers and students, using social media, and handling limited resources Updated resources at the end of each chapter For both new and experienced leaders, you’ll find this book to be full of practical templates and strategies to implement immediately. Many tools are available as free eResources from our website, www.routledge.com/9781138899568.

The Principal's Hot Seat features video footage of aspiring who are challenged to think on their feet and respond to agitated teachers, angry students, and irate parents in a way that reflects their knowledge of the law, school leadership standards and their own styles. In addition to DVD, the book features background information and a complete transcript of the conversation, allowing for careful analysis of the principal's performance.

/*0205457231,Sergiovanni, The Principalship 5e*/The Principalship focuses on how school leadership is based on reflective practice and moral authority. This book continues to emphasize school culture, standards, building community, and providing a moral basis for leadership as a means of navigating through contextual issues and constraints that principals routinely face. This edition aims to inform future principals about the decisions they will make about their practice and how those decisions will affect students and teachers. Extensively updated with new emphasis given to diversity as a part of community building, school character as an important ingredient in school effectiveness, new definitions of school effectiveness, and a new view of the process of change. The book's trademark emphasis on reflective practice is maintained and opportunities for reflection are provided throughout the book. The link between organizational character and school effectiveness is explored and emphasis is given to how organizational character can be established and maintained.

A principal's job is astonishingly complex, and its competing demands can be overwhelming, especially in the first few years. In this book, Jen Schwanke, a principal herself, provides a mentor's guidance to steer new principals through the period of adjustment and set the foundation for a long and rewarding career. The topics you wish your graduate program had covered are covered here—directly, practically, and without the jargon. Drawing on her own experience, Schwanke provides strategies for tackling the most common yet most daunting challenges of the principalship, including Establishing productive professional relationships Building and maintaining a positive school culture Resolving conflict among staff and parents Providing effective instructional leadership Supporting students' social-emotional needs Conducting staff evaluations and delivering feedback Keeping up with district, state, and federal mandates Managing the facility and the budget Providing focused and effective professional development Prioritizing responsibilities Learning from student and schoolwide data Planning for growth and change Working through behavior and discipline issues Hiring high-quality teachers and supporting new ones Leading effective meetings Maintaining balance The standalone chapters provide easy access to the solutions you need for the situations you face. Along with real-life scenarios and critical tips for success, you'll find helpful models of what to do, what to say, and how to say it. This book is a source for ideas any time you encounter a problem and think, "Now what?" It's the beginning of an ongoing conversation about the wonderful and rewarding work of being a principal.

First Published in 2007. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.