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.

Today's school principals face unprecedented challenges that can overwhelm even the most dedicated among them. What can they do when their initial enthusiasm for the job begins to deflate, when the demands of the job seem to outnumber the rewards? How can they regain the energy that propelled them early in their career? The Principal Reboot answers these questions with specific advice on how to reignite passion in addressing the many aspects of the principalship, including * Defining a school's values and mission through rebranding; * Strengthening relationships with staff, students, and community; * Leading renewed efforts to improve instruction; * Developing teacher leadership; * Using data effectively and innovatively; and * Improving operational procedures and processes. Sharing the wisdom gained from colleagues and her own experience as a principal, author Jen Schwanke offers an engaging, accessible account of the ups and downs of the job, along with helpful, step-by-step suggestions for how to reinvigorate a flagging career and restore the joy that comes with making a school the best that it can be.

Full of meaningful insights, this indispensable compilation of suggestions and recommendations offers counsel on everything from health to people skills, always with an eye toward the goal of instructional leadership.

This hands-on school leadership guide for new and veteran principals and administrators offers practical advice for leading a school successfully. Want honest student input? Try texting. Got a group of angry parents? Arrange one-on-one meetings—you’ll avoid a mob scene and give each family the attention it deserves. Trying to make a teacher feel appreciated? Shoot a quick email after stopping by his classroom and describe something cool you saw him do. It takes ten seconds but has a big impact. These tips and hundreds more are the collective wisdom of three experienced principals who know how to connect with kids, staff, families, and stakeholders, and help students succeed.

You're an Assistant Principal. Whatever your status—the sole AP in your school, one of two or more APs in your school, a career AP, an AP aspiring to the principalship—yours is one of the most misunderstood and underutilized positions in education. Positioned between teachers and the principal, you are an instructional leader. However, you are not the leader of the school. Therefore, you must carefully navigate your way to ensure that you thrive in your role without "stepping on the toes" of your principal. In The Assistant Principal 50, award-winning, four-time principal Baruti Kafele presents reflective questions that encompass the breadth and depth of the assistant principalship—from finding your leadership "lane" to thriving and being an asset to your principal. Kafele infuses the book (which also includes guidance and insights for principals and aspiring assistant principals) from beginning to end with personal anecdotes and accounts of both failures and successes from his years as an assistant principal. He arms you with tools and insights that will drive you to view the assistant principalship as critical to the climate and culture of your school as well as to student achievement. You, assistant principal, play a critical role in your school's success. The questions that Kafele asks you to consider will aid you as you hone your leadership skills toward becoming an effective leader in your school.

From an elementary school principal and popular YouTube personality, inspiration and humor for educators to tackle the challenges they face day-in and day-out Gerry Brooks is an elementary school principal turned YouTube celebrity who entertains K-12 teachers, administrators, and parents across the country. He tells jokes with the kind of mocking humor that gets a laugh, yet can be safely shared in school. After all, even great schools have bad days -- when lesson plans fall through, disgruntled parents complain, kids throw temper tantrums because they have to use the same spoon for their applesauce and mashed potatoes, and of course, dealing with...The Horror! The Horror!...dreaded assessments. Ranging from practical topics like social media use in the classroom and parent-teacher conferences to more lighthearted sections such as "Pickup and Dropoff: An Exercise in Humanity" and "School Supplies: Yes, We Really Need All That Stuff," Go See the Principal offers comic relief, inspiration, and advice to those who need it the most.

Each chapter opens with the big picture of leadership in a school relating to the chapter's topic through a personal example and story. In order for there to be a strong foundation in place so a person can be an effective school leader, he or she needs to reflect on the pillars of school leadership. Each one of these pillars needs to be understood for a person to be able to lead a school and for the ideas in this book to work. This part will reference research relating to the six pillars of school leadership: 1. Vision 2. Relationships 3. Trust 4. Efficacy 5. Student-Centered 6. Instructional Knowledge Chapter sections will follow this structure: The Topic: in heading Ten-Minute Opportunity Ten-Minute Tip Ten-Minute Collaborative Opportunities Principal's Perspective: Each chapter will have a section where another experienced principal shares his or her insight on the topic and how they have found success. The book also includes vignettes, case studies, questions to reflect on, infographics, and checklists.