Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1The New Principal: The Administrative Role – Then and Now
- The New Principal of Yesteryear
- The New Principal – Yesterday and Today: Has Anything Changed but the Date on the Calendar?
- New Principal Expectations, Skill Sets, and Attributes: A Tale of Then and Now
- The Attributes: A Brief Introduction
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application: How Are Our New School Leaders Doing, Liz?
Chapter 2Step #1 – Advance Critical New Principal Skills: Develop a Plan for Success
- Developing a Plan of Action for Success
- Critical Leader Skills Identified: What’s a New Principal to Do?
- Practical Perspectives for New Principals: Skills Acquisition
- How to Gain the Required New Principal Leadership Skills
- Keys to Personal Growth and Development
- Delving into the Research Literature
- Examining the Research Literature Requires a Systematic and Logical Approach
- Presenting at Conferences: A Method of Advancing Self and Promoting Faculty
- Writing for Publication: Express Expertise and Inform Others
- Overcoming Isolation
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application: We Need to Set a Few Things Straight!
Chapter 3Step #2 – The Leadership Absolutes Vital to Confidently Experiencing Todays Principalship, Part 1: How to Identify, Acknowledge, and Incorporate the Seven Absolutes Essential to New Principal Success
- Recognize and Know the Absolutes
- The New Principalship: Seven Leadership Absolutes
- Absolute #1: The New Principal Serving as Lead Learner
- Absolute #2: The New Principal Directing as Instructional Leader
- Special Education and the Inclusive School
- Program Supervision and Evaluation
- It’s a Wild New World Out There and Adaptation is Essential
- Absolute #3: The New Principal Surrounding Self with a “Forward-Thinking,” “Can-Do,” and “Ready-To-Get-It-Done” Leadership Team
- Absolute #4: The New Principal Supervising School Personnel
- Leading Personnel is Hard Work
- Stress Makes for Hard Work and By-the-Way, Who Needs It?
- Interacting with the Best
- Interacting with Those in Need of Assistance
- Supervision of Marginal Teachers
- Engaging with Teacher Resisters
- Managing Personnel and Adverse Circumstances
- Absolute #5: The New Principal Managing School Operations
- Absolute #6: The New Principal Ensuring a Safe and Secure Learning Community
- Absolute #7: The New Principal Enduring Emergent Forces
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application:
Is the Challenge an Opportunity or is the Opportunity a Challenge?
Chapter 4Step #2 – The Leadership Absolutes Vital to Confidently Experiencing Todays Principalship, Part 2: Absolute #7 – How to Successfully Endure, Transcend, and Survive the Seven Emergent Forces Challenging the New Principal Role
- The Emergent Forces: What Are They? Who Are They? Why Are They?
- Seven Emerging Forces
- 1. Pandemic After-Effects
- 2. Teacher Shortages, Quiet Quitting, and the Great Resignation
- 3. Activist Parents
- 4. Incivility, the Lack of Public Decorum, and Survival Tactics
- New Principal Survival Guide for Success
- 5. Technology Redefined: The Age of Digital Leading, Teaching and Learning – Innovative Today, Obsolete Tomorrow!
- 6. Social Media Effects
- 7. Controversial Issues
- Racism and White Superiority in Schools
- What’s a New Principal to Do?
- Now is the Time!
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application:
Standing Firm and Facing the Force of the Emerging Winds
Chapter 5Step #3 – Learn the Ropes: New Principal Expectations, Position Responsibilities, and Skill Sets to Positively Influence New Principal Leadership
- New Principal Expectations: An In-Depth Description and Examination
- Position Responsibilities for the New Principal
- The Difference: Expectations vs. Responsibilities
- What Set of Skills Positively Influence New Principal Leadership?
- Seven Key Skills to Positively Influence New Principal Leadership
- The Makings of an Outstanding New Principal
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application: I’m Overwhelmed – The Expectations are Crushing, and the Responsibilities are Inundating!
Chapter 6Step #4 – Acknowledge and Understand School Norms, Traditions, and Customs: What New Principals Must Know to Survive
- What are Norms, Traditions, and Customs from a New Principal Perspective? Each Term Defined, Described, and Exemplified
- What a New Principal Must Know and Understand
- Which Norms, Traditions, or Customs are Institutionally Perpetual? Should They Be Changed?
- How a Can New Principal Make Changes?
- How School Norms, Traditions, and Customs Can Dictate a School’s Climate and Culture
- How to Change and Improve Culture and Climate
- How a New Principal Can Survive the Changing of Norms, Traditions, and Customs
- Changing Norms, Traditions, and Customs by Changing Climate and Culture: Seven Survival Tactics
- Career Longevity: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow!
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application: That Nest of Hornets is the Reason the Stinging is so Incessant!
Chapter 7Step #5 – Recognize and Value Essential Characteristics of the Learning Community: Factors New Principals Must Know and Understand
- What is a Learning Community?
- Who Makes Up the Membership of a Learning Community? Roles and Responsibilities
- Position Responsibilities for the New Principal: A Learning Community Member
- Position Importance is Relative: It All Depends on Who You Ask!
- What are Essential Characteristics of a Learning Community?
- How Do Certain Crucial and Fundamental Factors Impact a New Principal’s Relationship with a Learning Community?
- Developing a Rapport and Establishing a Relationship within a Learning Community
- Five Key Tenets Central to a New Principal Establishing an Effective Learning Community and Building a Great Personal and Professional First Impression
- How New Principals Fail but Succeed
- Remember This and Not That!
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application: He Doesn’t Have Enough Sense to Come in Out of the Rain! Or, How Not to Build a Relationship with the Learning Community
Chapter 8Step #6 – Appreciate and Incorporate Policies, Regulations, and Procedures: New Principal Legal Responsibilities
- Why All the Legalese?
- New Principal Legal Responsibilities
- School Board Policies
- What are School Board Policies?
- School Board Policies and New Principal Responsibilities
- Administrative Regulations
- Campus Procedures
- Final Thoughts
- Discussion Questions
- Case Study Application: Yes, I Heard What He Said. But He Said He Followed School Board Policy!
Chapter 9Step #7 – Enhance Personal Attributes Critical to a New Principal’s Success: The Leadership Protocol
- Directions
- Scoring
- Scoring Interpretations
- Final Thoughts
- Epilogue: Be Aware, Be Prepared, Never Despair, and Let Your Light Shine
References
Index
About the Author