There's been a great deal of speculation at SoHi about who our new principal might be now that Tony Graham accepted a district office position. The district sent out a survey prior to opening the position that asked what we would want to see in a principal. While I filled it out with requests such as "has experience both as a high school teacher and as a high school parent," the truth is that I'm not entirely certain.
My experience with principals has been rather scattered. Either due to their job turnover or mine, I've served under 13 different principals in my 23 years of teaching. Serving under Tony these past four school years is the second-longest stint that I have served under a principal (my five years with Jill Groenendyk has the longest run). In my first two years as a teacher, I had three principals (Jill would be my fourth in my first three years). They have varied greatly in quality from wonderfully supportive and visionary to wildly and perhaps even criminally incompetent. Clearly, I don't want the latter.
Certainly, I want someone who is supportive and encouraging, someone who knows what's going on in my classroom without being invasive, someone who recognizes my value while still pushing me to do better. I want someone who connects and interacts well with our students and their parents, but who still defends the staff, faculty, and principles of the school. I want someone who is a model educator with a clear vision for our school, yet who is willing to listen to the various stakeholders in the school and incorporate them, rather than force them, into that vision. I want someone who pushes for innovation while still holding to tried and true practices. Most importantly, I don't want one who micromanages, is spineless, or who acts like a tyrant.
And yet, I'm not certain if I would recognize those traits through candidates' interviews, their resumes, or even conversations with their former school. I do not envy those who are going to make the decision.
My experience with principals has been rather scattered. Either due to their job turnover or mine, I've served under 13 different principals in my 23 years of teaching. Serving under Tony these past four school years is the second-longest stint that I have served under a principal (my five years with Jill Groenendyk has the longest run). In my first two years as a teacher, I had three principals (Jill would be my fourth in my first three years). They have varied greatly in quality from wonderfully supportive and visionary to wildly and perhaps even criminally incompetent. Clearly, I don't want the latter.
Certainly, I want someone who is supportive and encouraging, someone who knows what's going on in my classroom without being invasive, someone who recognizes my value while still pushing me to do better. I want someone who connects and interacts well with our students and their parents, but who still defends the staff, faculty, and principles of the school. I want someone who is a model educator with a clear vision for our school, yet who is willing to listen to the various stakeholders in the school and incorporate them, rather than force them, into that vision. I want someone who pushes for innovation while still holding to tried and true practices. Most importantly, I don't want one who micromanages, is spineless, or who acts like a tyrant.
And yet, I'm not certain if I would recognize those traits through candidates' interviews, their resumes, or even conversations with their former school. I do not envy those who are going to make the decision.
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