Students at a California elementary school are more engaged and motivated since the school adopted a science, technology, engineering, arts and math program, writes principal Renee Polk Johnson. In this commentary, she shares how the school's shift to STEAM created this shift in culture, too.
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New or aspiring principals can use social media such as Twitter, Voxer and Pinterest to avoid the sense of isolation that often comes with the job, suggests Jessica Johnson, Wisconsin's 2014 Elementary School Principal of the Year. "I have to honestly say, that I don't know how I could do this job without being a connected educator," Johnson notes.
A California elementary school focused on project-based learning to implement the Common Core State Standards into its curriculum, principal Tyler Graff explains in this interview. Graff describes a project where a grade 2-3 combination class applied several literacy standards and engaged in community issues by interviewing, writing about and "voting" on school board candidates.
Alex Magana, principal of Grant Beacon Middle School in Denver, in this commentary credits adding an extra hour to the day with the school's turnaround in raising achievement and attendance and reducing disciplinary referrals. The longer day allows students to enroll in enrichment programs and to receive interventions, plus extra time in core subjects. Teachers use the time for collaboration and professional development, he writes.
School mission statements offer direction and framework, asserts elementary-school principal Tom Martellone. In this blog post, he compares the singular direction of mission statements to the synchronization of a skilled rowing team and asks school leaders to consider whether everyone on their own team is rowing in the same direction. "In a time of great upheaval in education, a school's mission and vision may be just the thing your school needs to help keep you focused on why we all got into this work in the first place -- student learning," he writes.
One New Jersey principal says the implementation of a strict dress code for students has improved the school's atmosphere and culture. "I would recommend it to any public school in America," the principal said of the policy, which allows students to wear navy or khaki pants, shorts or skirts and red, white or blue polo shirts.