Fall Down, Stand Up

Advice for Aspiring Principals, Second Edition

Russ Thompson

Starting out as a principal is a lot like starting out as a new teacher. You feel alone. You need guidance. And you have to provide leadership even when you don’t feel sure of yourself. You also make mistakes. In Fall Down, Stand Up: Advice for Aspiring Principals, Russ Thompson provides guidance for future principals based upon his experiences as the principal of three urban high schools in Los Angeles. Practical suggestions are provided for creating an orderly school climate, improving classroom instruction, ensuring effective school operations, providing thoughtful leadership, and working with people. Every principal makes mistakes and falls down. This book is about standing up, becoming better, and working to create schools where all students learn at the highest levels.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 210 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4758-2662-3 • Hardback • March 2016 • $58.00 • (£45.00)

978-1-4758-2663-0 • Paperback • March 2016 • $29.00 • (£21.95)

978-1-4758-2664-7 • eBook • March 2016 • $27.50 • (£20.95)

Subjects: Education / Administration / School Superintendents & Principals, Education / Administration / General, Education / Professional Development

Fall Down, Stand Up

Advice for Aspiring Principals, Second Edition

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Starting out as a principal is a lot like starting out as a new teacher. You feel alone. You need guidance. And you have to provide leadership even when you don’t feel sure of yourself. You also make mistakes. In Fall Down, Stand Up: Advice for Aspiring Principals, Russ Thompson provides guidance for future principals based upon his experiences as the principal of three urban high schools in Los Angeles. Practical suggestions are provided for creating an orderly school climate, improving classroom instruction, ensuring effective school operations, providing thoughtful leadership, and working with people. Every principal makes mistakes and falls down. This book is about standing up, becoming better, and working to create schools where all students learn at the highest levels.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 210 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4758-2662-3 • Hardback • March 2016 • $58.00 • (£45.00)

978-1-4758-2663-0 • Paperback • March 2016 • $29.00 • (£21.95)

978-1-4758-2664-7 • eBook • March 2016 • $27.50 • (£20.95)

Subjects: Education / Administration / School Superintendents & Principals, Education / Administration / General, Education / Professional Development

Author

Russ Thompson served thirty-six years as an educator in Los Angeles, including fourteen years as the principal of three high schools. Two of the schools where he served as principal were turnaround schools.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Discipline
1. The Problem Was Now Worse
2. Class Time Was Like Lunch Time
3. It Was the Best He Had Seen
4. Simple Detention
5. He Had to Change His Mentality
6. Saturday School
7. Lunch Supervision
8. A Fight that Was Prevented
9. The Problem with Suspensions
10. The First Award of His Entire Life
11. It Was Almost a Real Emergency
12. Riot and Recovery
13. Section Review
Classroom Instruction
1. The Learning in Classrooms
2. The Reason It Worked
3. A Sustained Process
4. He Had Firmly Believed
5. You Have to Go Out and Look for Problems
6. The Best Way to Spend Your Time
7. It Was His First Day
8. An Opinion Is Not Research
9. Your Presence in Classrooms
10. Will It Help Students Learn Better?
11. The Power of a Positive Learning Environment
12. The Common Core State Standards
13. A Model Lesson
14. Section Review
School Operations
1. Cleaning Needed
2. The Foundation of Your Entire School
3. Tragedy
4. Another Tragedy
5. Almost a Disaster
6. Phone Calls
7. The Entire Contract
8. The Right Kind of Faculty Meeting
9. Section Review
Leadership
1. Delegation
2. Delegation Gone Bad
3. Deadlines
4. Ask Questions
5. A Sacrifice You Must Make
6. Priorities
7. Also Listen to the Quiet Voices
8. We Are Not as Bad As...
9. Making People Happy Is Not Your Job
10. He Went Over to His Shelf
11. Pick Up the Phone
12. A Leader Who Got Things Done
13. Do Not Let the Obstacle Overcome You
14. Exhaustion
15. A Mistake He Would Never Forget
16. Advice from a Pro
17. Target Practice
18. Ask for Advice
19. A Big Difference
20. Always Watching You
21. Section Review
People
1. In the Middle of Kids
2. It Was Distorted and Very Negative
3. People Need Time
4. Suggestion or Requirement?
5. Saved by a RecordingDevice
6. Necessary Action
7. It Was Said Behind His Back
8. It Was a Lie and the Principal Believed Him
9. Gossip
10. Delay Makes It Worse
11. Talk to the Person in Person
12. You Must Also Be Persuasive
13. Remember the Positives
14. A Good School Again
15. Section Review
About the Author
Index

Reviews

Tired of arm chair theorists and distant policy wonks in conservative think tanks telling politicians, gullible op-ed editors, and state legislators who want instant fixes of how easy it is to fix the schools? Then open this book by veteran public school principal Russ Thompson for how it is in the real world of school administration for a refreshing memoir of the multi dimensionalities of the hard day to day continuous challenges involved with real school improvement. Fall Down, Stand Up will find you cheering for the hard won little victories at day’s end that when summed up over time result in changed school accomplishment and operational success.
— Fenwick W. English, Professor and Department Chair, Educational Leadership, Teachers College, Ball State University

This is one of the most comprehensive books on the principalship and leadership I have encountered. It is written by a thoughtful administrator who has actually done the job. It could easily be useful to managers and administrators in fields other than education.
— Stu Bernstein Ed.D, Cluster Administrator (Area Superintendent), Retired; Senior Advisor, The Amber Group; and University Professor

I enjoyed every part of this book. I wish I could have read it before I became a principal.
— Frank Dolce, Principal, Retired

This is a terrific tool for incoming administrators and those who plan to become principals.
— Julian Lopez, Ph.D., superintendent, retired

Fall Down, Stand Up: Advice for Aspiring Principals is an easy read, full of sound, practical advice.
— Merle Price, Deputy Superintendent, Retired; and Professor of Education

Fall Down, Stand Up

Advice for Aspiring Principals, Second Edition

Russ Thompson

Fall Down, Stand Up

Advice for Aspiring Principals, Second Edition

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