Ed Week, April 6, 2011: Principals

In the April 6, 2011 Ed Week under Policy Briefs I found an article that should not be overlooked:  Principal's Role Vital, Groups Assert.  Apparently good principals also have a significant impact on student achievement.  Both the New York based Wallace Foundation and the Center For American Progress are calling for national guidelines for evaluation of principals and definitions of principal effectiveness.  Evaluations should assess a principal's leadership skills, including the ability to improve teacher effectiveness and retain teachers.  The Wallace Foundation also called for federal support to create leadership academies for principals.  Based on my experience as the parent of two children enrolled in public schools and my observations and volunteer work in different Salem-Keizer schools, I would agree with this article.  At Grant Elementary, in particular, I have been extremely impressed by the principal.  He is bilingual, which is important for a school with a Dual-Language Program and a large Hispanic population. He makes his expectations clear to the students.  I accompanied a group of 75 fourth graders on a field trip to the Oregon Garden recently.  The Principal actually assisted with loading the kids onto the bus and then got on the bus and went over his behavior expectations. He talked about being respectful, responsible Grant Grizzlies. He emphasized being respectful of both plants and people.  He also said he hoped everyone would have fun and learn something new.  He stood on the front steps of the school waving until the bus was out of sight!  As a chaperone on the field trip I can attest that his method of mentally rehearsing his behavior expectations with the students worked.  He took the time to get on the bus and see us off.  By taking the time, he showed that it mattered, the students mattered, and he cared.  In my observations at Grant I have seen many, many examples of this principal's commitment and strong, effective leadership. I agree with the article's statement that "Principal's are uniquely positioned to ensure that excellent teaching and learning spread beyond single classrooms".  I have seen that this principal has positively shaped and influenced the culture of the whole school.