Standard 5: Managerial Leadership
Principals will ensure that the school has processes and systems in place for budgeting, staffing, problem-solving, communicating expectations and scheduling that result in organizing the work routines in the building. The principal must be responsible for the monitoring of the school budget and the inclusion of all teachers in the budget decision so as to meet the 21st century needs of every classroom. Effectively and efficiently managing the complexity of every day life is critical for staff to be able to focus its energy on improvement.
Principals will ensure that the school has processes and systems in place for budgeting, staffing, problem-solving, communicating expectations and scheduling that result in organizing the work routines in the building. The principal must be responsible for the monitoring of the school budget and the inclusion of all teachers in the budget decision so as to meet the 21st century needs of every classroom. Effectively and efficiently managing the complexity of every day life is critical for staff to be able to focus its energy on improvement.
Element 5a. School Resources and Budget: The principal establishes budget processes and systems which are focused on, and result in, improved student achievement.
My principal mentor provided me with information on how the school budget is created at Southern Nash High School using the information provided by the district. As with all school budgets, decisions have to be made to use the funds in a way that improves student achievement. Based on the needs at our school, Mr. Scott decided that our funds would be used according to the printed budget (see below). Having these work sessions with Mr. Scott, really helped me to better understand why my principals in the past have doled out funds for particular initiatives.
Element 5b. Conflict Management and Resolution: The principal effectively and efficiently manages the complexity of human interactions so that the focus of the school can be on improved student achievement.
During Formative Assessment Day, I was presented with 34 scenarios that could happen in a school. These incidents took place over the course of a week while I was away at a conference. As a school administrator, I had to prioritize how to deal with the incidents upon my return. This activity gave me a real look into how things are constantly changing during a school day and the need to be able to figure out how to prioritize the most urgent needs, delegate to other staff members tasks that could be handled by them, and handle minimal issues at my earliest convenience. I have also had a great deal of practice with dealing with issues during my principal residency as well such as teacher-student conflict, scheduling conflicts, and student behavior issues.
Element 5c. Systematic Communication: The principal designs and utilizes various forms of formal and informal communication so that the focus of the school can be on improved student achievement.
I have seen how effective communication is one of the keystones to the smooth operation of a school. At Southern Nash High School, in a number of ways, but one way in particular is through the daily bulletin which is contributed to daily. This eliminated the need to send multiple emails that often times go unread. It made it more convenient to have everything compiled in one place for staff to access at their own leisure. I contributed weekly to the bulletin by sending the links to the weekly homeroom lessons. I sent the links two days in advance, so teachers could review the lessons and ask questions if they had any. Each Friday afternoon, a special message was sent to students and parents updating them on upcoming events for that night and for the next week.
Element 5d. School Expectations for Students and Staff: The principal develops and enforces expectations, structures, rules and procedures for students and staff.
We looked at the handbooks from the previous years and as a team made a some minor changes. Creating a manual for staff and students is an important piece of the school culture. Everyone knows what is expected and where to access the information for future reference. Revising those handbooks gave me an opportunity to make decisions that I felt were best for the staff and students and that aligned with the school's vision.
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