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.

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. For educators of grade K to 12.

This practical resource is jam-packed with proven strategies, hands-on techniques, and "how to" guidelines for virtually every aspect of school administration and supervision. Best of all, it gives you scores of real-life examples and "tricks of the trade" you won't find in any school of education.

"I wish I′d had this useful desktop guide to help me through the challenges of my early years and as a reference guide for the later years. The authors have done a remarkable job of anticipating the daily needs of principals and offering practical suggestions that can be used within minutes! This book is eminently useful, up-to-date, and full of rich professional perspectives." —Ella Reiss Urdang, Elementary Principal Tenafly, NJ Public Schools "The school leader′s position is often the loneliest position in any school, but this excellent resource is the equivalent of having a mentor 24/7. This book should accompany all newly appointed school leaders into their new positions." —Neil MacNeill, Principal Ellenbrook Primary School, WA, Australia Creative, real-world approaches for responding to the fast-changing demands of school leadership! Designed for the busy administrator, The Survival Kit for the Elementary School Principal addresses daily challenges faced by all elementary school principals and offers expert solutions for virtually any leadership or administrative issue. Based on the authors′ extensive experiences in public and private schools, this easy-to-use kit includes time-saving forms, sample letters, charts, and checklists for successful day-to-day school administration. The book is a complete desktop reference with solutions for immediate problems or challenges. The authors′ pragmatic, tested strategies assist readers with: Systems thinking Negotiating the maze of NCLB requirements Using data to inform practice Understanding the key role that new technologies play in schools Succeeding as leaders, arbitrators, evaluators, disciplinarians, and more Gathering support through positive parent and community relations Suitable for diverse settings and school sizes, this comprehensive resource is a virtual library of essential information and support for effective elementary school leadership. All forms, letters, and checklists available online upon publication.

This book offers practical guidance on such topics as roles and responsibilities, school environment and culture, classroom organization and management, collaboration with other professionals, and individual professional development.

This guide for elementary principals will provide a fingertip resource that will offer principals a systematic approach to the managerial and instructional aspects of opening and closing a school. It provides specific comprehensive tools such as how to plan a strategic planning retreat, timelines, checklists, agendas, etc.

This book is for administrators, aspiring administrators, and those who are interested in how schools operate on a day-to-day basis. Many principals will recognize the stressors that are described and that typify a shared-leadership school. Chapter 1 focuses on communication as the foundational skill for all principals, a skill that entails as much listening as it does speaking. Chapter 2 emphasizes the need for principals to trust themselves and to trust others, both of which are important in a job that tends to isolate. The next two chapters focus on the need to be receptive to change and the need for principals to recognize that the classroom is not the only place to learn and that all of a school's resources should be used to provide a practical, real-life learning environment. Chapter 5 examines the need to be prepared for large-scale changes, whereas chapter 6 provides advice on mediating the inevitable conflicts that visit all schools. The last few chapters discuss the importance of exercising the power of the principal's office; how to assess students, staff, and schools; and the need to maintain balance in one's life. A final section offers anecdotes and tips for thriving in the difficult job that is called the principalship. (Contains 59 references and an index.) (RJM)