Principles of Principals

I've tossed some wet blankets on the school reform fire.  Stirred the pot if you will. In the spirit of TNTP's recent request for more solution-oriented dialogue, versus ad-hominem attacks, we're going to work with the embers we have, beginning with the most powerfully elected body in the United States.   The School Board . I've said it before. You heard me correctly.  At the true grass roots level, there's not a more influential group of people than a school board.  In all their diversity of membership and governance, they select leaders, respond to community needs, and sometimes follow policy...but I digress. To be brief in writing, here are 4.5 solutions for school boards who want to sustain school reform measures; BE AUTHENTIC - In a recent LDS conference talk, Dieter Uchtdorf told an anecdote about lemon juice . In it, this person robs a bank believing no one can see his face .  You see he applied lemon juice to it, believing it would hide him....

In case you're not paying... ...attention, the third of four Hunger Games movies came out over the holiday season to great acclaim. As we've turned the corner in the school year, two things are on the minds of school leaders. Assessment Talent acquisition As was reported earlier, over 250 teacher openings have haunted charter and district schools in Maricopa County for the 2014-15 year.  250. That's. A. Lot. of open spots. Teachers have the pick of the litter. Closer to home? More $? Leadership? Those are all factors. How do organizations compete for the best and brightest? 3.5 strategies to keep the odds ever in your favor Assess your organizational strengths by asking your stakeholders what you're good at. Whatever they say, brand it and sell it. Think advantage rather than deficit . We're a small district = we're offering a family atmosphere. We're a large district = no matter your interest in teaching, we've got a place for yo...