As our team’s instructional leaders, it’s our job to keep teaching and learning at the center of all we do. That means having an intentional focus on the growth of teachers and students. It means diving into the data and researching best practices. It means creating trust and providing instructional feedback to teachers, supporting them […]
Dr. VaShawn Smith is a middle school principal in Grandview, MO. This is part of our series on reimagining education. Follow him on Twitter at @drvsmith. As school leaders, we know family engagement is always important – and it’s our role to provide the sense of stability and care our learners and their families need. But […]
Marc Cohen is a high school principal in Germantown, Maryland, and a presenter with ASCD. You can find him on Twitter @marcjcohen. Over the summer, my new director scheduled a meeting with me. I thought she wanted to discuss district initiatives, school improvement efforts, and successes and challenges in my school, but her first question […]
Sharif El-Mekki is a former principal and the founder of the Center for Black Educator Development in Philadelphia, PA. This is part of our series on reimagining education. I was a principal at Mastery Charter School-Shoemaker in Philadelphia for many years. We took to heart the concept of windows and mirrors, decorating our walls with […]
Keeanna Warren is a high school principal in Indiana. You can read more about what restorative practices look like in her school community here. Follow her on Twitter @KeeannaWarren. This past year, my high school transitioned to the complete integration of restorative practices – which means we center our days on the relationships we have […]
Michael Williford is a middle school principal in California. Follow him on Twitter at @mwillifordjbms. As a middle school principal, I know the jump from sixth to seventh grade can feel scary, even in an ordinary year – and for students who are English language learners or qualify for special education services, it can seem […]
Recently, lead learners like you gathered on Twitter for a #PrincipalOfficeHours chat to discuss school reopening in this complicated back-to-school season. We’ve collected the roundup below to share a few highlights, and we hope it brings you a little extra inspiration – whether it’s a tip to share with your team, a plan to mull […]
Issue #5: Tapping back into your “why” this BTS season Sign up here to get #PrincipalProject newsletters like this in your inbox! Kathy Walker is a middle school principal in Statesville, North Carolina. You can follow her on Twitter @kathywalkeriss Optimism. Concern. Fear. Excitement. Determination. We school leaders are building our back-to-school plans a little […]
Chris DeRemer is the dean of instruction at a high school in Denver, CO. This is part of our series on reimagining education. A few years ago, when I was in the classroom full-time, my students and I did a project on gentrification. I was new to the school and the neighborhood, part of the […]
This blog post is excerpted & adapted from Restart & Recovery: Considerations for Teaching and Learning System Conditions from the Council of Chief State School Officers. See the full report for more guidelines, vetted resources and project context to support your family engagement strategy. 4 key values that will help center equity in your family […]