The Thoughts of One Principal

The Monday, September 26th edition of the New York Times carried an interesting piece entitled 'The Secrets of a Principal Who Makes Things Work.' There are a good number of Ms. Getz's ideas (she works in a tough part of NYC) that, in my view, have much merit. I want to share them with you.

"A good principal has been a teacher"

"A good principal feels at home in a cafeteria filled with 800 children eating rubbery scrambled eggs for breakfast"

"A good principal has her own style"

"A good principal protects her teachers from the nonsense"

"A good principal sets her own standards high"

"A good principal works with union leaders to carry out her education agenda, and if she can't, takes them on"

"A good principal knows teachers are only part of what make a school run"

"A good principal takes money out of her pocket for the school"

"A good principal loves and trusts the public schools where she works"

"A good principal worries in private, ignores the surreal and finds a way to get things done"

"A good principal has a To Do list several feet long"

"A good principal leads by example"

Many good qualities in the above and its clear that the relationship between the principal and his/her teachers is a critical one relative to the success of students.

Dick