How many unproductive meetings have you presided over or been a part of? a) none, something I am part of never fails b) a few, now and then, but never any that I lead c) all of them, … [Read more...]
Spreadsheet Decision Making, the If – Then in Action
Goldilocks has been feeling her oats lately and has also begun to challenge her parents on the kinds of things children typically begin to challenge their parents on since the days of Fred Flintstone. … [Read more...]
Why Not You?
Every day administrators are faced with making decisions. And sometimes, in the process of making those decisions, administrators think “why me” instead of “why not me”. The calls, emails, and visits … [Read more...]
Are your students college and career ready?
As the world we live in continues to gain a wider global perspective, educators need to better prepare their students to be college and career ready so that they can excel in a global economy. But in … [Read more...]
Mentally Strong People: 13 Things They Avoid
I reflected on the principalship as I read Cheryl Conner’s article, “Mentally Strong People: 13 Things They Avoid”. The standards movement and accountability have changed the landscape for public … [Read more...]
Are You the Leader Your District Needs?
Leadership is a perennial topic in education. The terms “school leadership,” “school board leadership,” and “district leadership” are thrown about in policy papers and scholarly articles as the keys … [Read more...]
Lean In and Lead On
Sheryl Sandberg, who is the chief operating officer of Facebook, has been in the headlines recently (for all the right reasons) due to the 2013 release of her book, ‘Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will … [Read more...]
Don’t Wait For The Right One, Go For The Right One!
Hiring The Right Leaders If you want to hire extraordinary people, you must get away from ordinary practices! Recently I worked with a school division that needed to fill some key positions. As … [Read more...]
First Days and Relationships
In honor of the start of a new school year, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about a recent experience my wife and my second-grader had while preparing for the first day of school. On … [Read more...]
Leadership in Times of Turbulence
Even during the best of times, the role of a school administrator comes with its own set of challenges. Successful school leadership requires personal fortitude, the ability to establish a strong … [Read more...]