first year assistant principal checklist

Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, principals and assistant principals shall be evaluated based on quality standards as part of the pilot process. This is definitely a resource to re-read and refer to in the future. 3. How does the school celebrate holidays and staff birthdays? It is important to prioritize your day every day. Spend a great deal of time in classrooms, being as non-evaluative as you can. Each assistant principalship carries a different set of expectations and challenges. Smile a lot. component of my first year. I was an AP for 10 years, so I appreciate your perspective. If you'd like to share your own thoughts, start a blog and disseminate your posts through Facebook or possibly via email. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Follow Dr. McEwan's seven steps for effective communication with your staff. I connect regularly with several other administrative colleagues to bounce ideas off one another or simply to vent. ___ Assistant Principal ___Other, Please Specify . Training programs for administrative positions often focus on the role of the building principal, providing minimal context to an assistant principal position. Take the time to ask your principal to observe or facilitate tasks that may not be traditional to the assistant principal role. Begin faculty duty schedules 7. Review and revise Principals Planning Calendar Also, if a teacher asks what you are doing, be transparent. I shared, in advance, with staff that I would love to hear about what makes the school special, what they were most proud of or looking forward to this school year, and what theyd like to see changed or what I could help them with this year. Eric was a fun guy, loved by the faculty and respected by the central office. It is a marathon. Assistant principals should evaluate teacher performance in order to provide feedback and make recommendations for improvement. So much uncertainty in the APs role. I hope your very first year as a school leader is. Field Tip: When you need to communicate, start by identifying the purpose and critical information. Sage Press, 2001. Coaching must take place in the schools, be ongoing, and incorporate frequent classroom walkthroughs with the school principal. Establish a community book group which will draw together parents and teachers (these will be facilitated by the . Revise student directory 3. I had become the job. This takes a long time. This forced me to see myself as a learner. Ill be the first to say that each path toward trust is unique, but its never bad to start by managing the referrals that come your way fairly and efficiently, committing to being a learner in your leadership role, and moving toward each new year looking for ways to serve students and teachers in new ways. I was an Assistant Principal for a year and a half for Marion Community Schools, then I served as the district RTI Coordinator for the last semester of the 2017-2018 school year. SpEd. Neither Rome nor a healthy school culture was built in a day! Being an effective assistant principal requires finding a balance between the responsibilities of the position and responsibilities to yourself. This person must be your strongest ally; if not, he or she can be your most formidable opponent. The checklist includes the following topic areas: Welcome to the Pack. DCPS Assistant Principal Selection Process . Welcoming parents and teachers to meet with you individually or in small groups during summer can build relationships that the rush of the school year doesn't always allow for. When the master schedule is developed, observe the process and ask how the schedule is designed to balance needs. Each person with whom you work has a personal story, family, and dreams. ?fK#Iz0 "y>{3s.g=3>9+0?jV-dKgHJ'+4,RH`ENf?%,1[m 0 g>g}I'sZY I have also picked up on the culture and expectations that are in the school. What could you do with 25 minutes a day? As a newly appointed AP, I have learned a lot by listening. Both staff and students are on the mission to discover your strengths while trying to create a good impression of themselves. Keep the focus on you and how you can better serve your staff. The interviews are over. Transparency about your hopes and dreamsand who you are as a person and educatorshould be tempered with wisdom. I'm the new superintendent. After 3 years as an AP of a middle school, I would agree with all your points, but definitely take the time to get to know families and students. Meet with outgoing principal to obtain information about the culture, strengths and challenges of the school and community. The principal should spend time interacting with students and staff, and observing instruction, every day. This approach can be a non-intrusive way to professionally develop your teachers without constantly flooding their inboxes with "must read" editorials (although the occasional article sent via email isn't such a bad thing). Getting a new boss can be scary. Extend your relationship building to other district principals. Im happy they want to share with me and I can always stay late if I need to. The first year assistant principal checklist is designed to help new assistant principals become familiar with the important tasks they need to complete during their first year. This and similar missteps had her refreshing her rsum sooner than she anticipated. One area in which I believe we often fall short is taking ownership of our professional growth. Note the parking lot at dismissal. You need to take the initiative to make it what you want from it. Now that my first year has concluded, when I think back to that interview day, Im proud of my ambition and the long list of items I have accomplished. The goal was to get me away from the leadership style of guiding dialogue and toward the style of actively listening. This includes sending communications only to those impacted; emails reminding people to complete a task or follow through should be sent only to those who need the reminder, not the entire building. Listen more than you talk the first time you meet those with whom you will work. (Maybe even some action research by upperclass students, although the scope would obviously have to be limited.) Yes, there is always the idea of getting your teachers up and running with Twitter (and Google+, LinkedIn, RSS feeds, digital newspapers, etc. Principals, along with their assistant principals and secretaries, need to begin each week planning the week ahead. Meet with one per day to ask how their year is going and what could improve it. And I appreciate your commitment to thriving in your role. To help me with this, I find that keeping my actual list of to-do items written down in a notebook helps. The most important lesson in leadership is be you.. Year 1: Mentees will receive 40 hours of 1:1 mentoring, 7.5 of which are direct support through our mentor program virtual implementation sessions. Despite the many pulls, relationship building must be a top priority. You listed some key questions. If were going to ask teachers to customize and individualize learning in the classroom, we need to be ready to do the same for our staff. Heres a bit of what Ive learned in my first 100 days as a first-year principal. I had to seek mentorship, professional development and resources, but most importantly, I had to rely on support from the staff to build my background knowledge . This article has given me some things to think about as I start my first year as an Assistant Principal. 4 0 obj What challenges do you anticipate during your first year in this new position? An AP needs a foundation of credibility before he can earn the relational capital that creates trust. ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. He believes life should not be boring; school either. <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> National Association of Elementary School Principals. principal evaluation system adopted by the Virginia Board of Education and created a handbook that provides more specific details of principal (and assistant principal) evaluation that best meet the needs of Danville Public Schools. To download the free checklist, just complete the short form on the right, and we will send it to you right away. :C1X1RpA2fkLYD4 Teachers mourned the loss. Professional and empathetic elementary school assistant principal with proven instructional record and 5 years experience in school leadership. x[[s~Lw;,vL>CyW=qV4' .x4mD@$ vP,~_,tz^No?U_^oN8=}Y What would you try if money or time werent barriers? . DCPS offers several types of Assistant Principal roles based on instructional levels and content areas. Relationships come before everything. We often hear the phrase, My door is always open. While the use of that phrase suggests that the leader should always be accessible, it violates the essential principle of good time management. Unlike the principal, the vice-principal does not have quite the decision-making authority that the principal carries. Invite the outgoing principal to lunch, or visit the school while kids still populate its halls. "They'll love it." obtains supplies In between our meetings, she will frequently send me short emails with helpful articles, attachments, and examples from her own work. Upload Husky Card Photo. Business The most important lesson in leadership is, "be you." Authenticity, including recognizing our strengths and weaknesses, makes us better leaders. Create a checklist of all the things you need to do and set a time table of when they need to be completed. Assistant principals who develop lasting, trusting relationships with their staff build on a foundation created by doing their job and doing it well. When you do, share how its going (when its great and when theres room for improvement)! The importance of a solid team. Field Tip: Try trash can diplomacy. At lunch, take the trash cans around the cafeteria to collect trash from students. The superintendent should ensure that discussion of effective leadership be part of every agenda. qD1%Y}Oo|__oLRqdl[}l1 {/. Note: The Principal/AP and Superintendent/designee (evaluator) agree on components of the meeting and confirm the level of performance. Meet teachers. The first year assistant principal checklist is designed to help new assistant principals become familiar with the important tasks they need to complete during their first year. (This also applies to your personal balance. All rights reserved. Whenever we met, a stranger could walk into the room and, based on our interaction, wouldn't know who was the teacher and who was the administrator. That is special! I am also fortunate to work in a small school district, where the superintendent is accessible via phone and email. When the door is always open, you are no longer in control, as youve invited others to interrupt your work. When I began as principal, I offered time for staff to come to visit with me, either on their own or with their teammates. If you do not take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others. Performance standards Changing the culture of a school is a long, hard process. Wedding I once walked the building with a first-year principal. Thank you. There is a massive variety of professional learning opportunities available for assistant principalsthe most available and promising is the person in your very own building, your principal. The only way to sift through all the tasks that it takes to get ready and get through your first year is to sit down and create a plan of what you are going to do. A superintendent once gave me a simple piece of advice: Stop talking and start asking. Activate UW Email and 2FA/DUO. Finding the right balance for communication is critical. Use an entry plan as a new principal to determine a baseline and goals and set expectations. July/August 2016 Disseminate class lists to teachers. These are great. Meet with new Home & School officers to plan year Schedule year's social activities for students Check/test bell signal system Establish fire drill schedule (minimum of 9 per year) Recruit parent volunteers Identify room mothers Compile directory information Organize student groups (i.e., bus patrol, student council, etc.) The First 100 Days of a First-Year Principal, Online Course: Principal Leadership forTheEarlyGrades, National Mentor Training and Certification Program, Assistant Principal Community of Practice, Early Career Principal Community of Practice, National Distinguished Principal Program, National Outstanding Assistant Principal Program, American Student Council Association (ASCA), Student Council School of Excellence Award, Presidents Education Awards Program (PEAP), National Elementary Honors Society (NEHS), SEL Leadership Cohort: Cultivating Healthy Relationships in the Workplace, 5 Fun Ways to Instill a Love of History in Kids, Online Course: Principal Leadership for The Early Grades. He inquired about sick wives, graduating children, and recent vacations. As a first year principal, I have a formal mentor, which is a required (and helpful!) And this is OKbecause it has to be. Questions provide an avenue for dialogue rather than dictation. How can I help in moving us forward if I dont see first-hand what our strengths and needs are. Job Type: Full Time (40 hours/week), Non-Exempt/Hourly.Weekend availability required (Saturdays and Sundays Required/Available for Special Occasions . I much prefer receiving this nourishment than being starved of it. Update Personal Information. It is the way your staff will feel valued. Check on school photo plans for coming year . Dan got some good advice. The first year at this in my experience, O*Tk}{S+w/nDZ#I$,N$>2h84RE ]3XhbyMw0Sef7Tvx+Qh:\thw OEd:. A graduate course in theories of leadership may provide a theoretical base for how one is to behave effectively. They may directly supervise lunch, hallways, special events. Just as teachers should never forget what it's like to be a student, administrators should never forget what it's like to be a teacher. If you have any questions about the first year assistant principal checklist, you can contact your school district or consult a professional organization such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals. A new principal offers four lessons learned from her first year in the role. Recognize these, and set them aside. It pays dividends in building trust. Once a fourth-grade teacher, I recently began my work as an elementary assistant principal in another district. In today's connected world, all educators should be actively looking for ideas and resources from outside their district. If your professional development sessions are lifeless and flat, youre not going to earn yourself any points with teachers. Acknowledge Student Code of Conduct*. The tension in teachers' and parents' shoulders visibly relaxed. Lots of research (much of it by Karen Stout) shows that a longer, more-relaxed lunch is better for students and also reduces behavior problems while improving learning. Explore. Teachers may come to dislike one another, gossip may substitute for communication, and discipline can become a power game in which both kids and teachers lose. You never know who it might encourage! Mentoring for new principals, once rare, is now required by half the nation's states. January 2019 Communicate the Principal Entry Plan to staff members (via e-mail and 4. These checklists provide monthly ideas and reminders about many of the things that a building principal is tending to throughout the year. First aid / fire / safety rules / drills Staff introductions: ask staff to ensure the E.A. But learning to delegate responsibility is the mark of mature leadership. Establishing your ethos on campus comes in a variety of ways (and happens differently in each unique situation). Travel Leverage your new title to empower others to speak up and have a voice. Assure teachers they can manage the majority of discipline issues themselves. Also, when appropriate, do what you can to make teachers' ideas a reality. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. %PDF-1.5 If the outgoing principal is available, review the personnel records with him or her. 3 0 obj and must remain in this plan for the first year (365 days) of employment. If you cannot establish relationships, you are going to struggle to maximize your effectiveness. Your work is to build a school that meets the needs of students and becomes a community of educators dedicated to that purpose. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Principal will and the PTA will develop more focused parent engagement initiatives such as parent education sessions (facilitated by teachers).

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