In Support of Vocational Education

Let me begin by saying that I am an advocate for a strong Vocational & Technology Education program as part of the overall high school experience. A very good friend of mine just retired from a very successful, 34 year career as a high school Social Studies teacher. He is also a graduate of the equally well respected Brooklyn Vocational and Technical High School. A highly selective, exam only, public high school in New York City.

The ability to excel academically and success in the multitude of vocational and technology courses offered in our schools isn't mutually exclusive! Many of my colleagues make the mistake of looking down their nose at vocational courses as not being of the same rigor as advanced course offerings in science and math. If you've ever tried to fix your own computer, upgrade an electrical panel in your house, or calculate the proper diameter of a waste pipe, you might think otherwise.

For many students, the opportunity to work in the area of technology is rewarding and challenging. Participation in a vocational program in no way means less than participation in a traditional advanced "academic" program. I also think we should end the distinction of academic vs. vocational. If you've ever looked at a computer science or an electrical theory textbook, you'll understand that the distinction is mute.

It is especially important to advocate for technology programs during these times of fiscal restraint. Often times, vocational and technical programs are the first to be cut. This would be a terrible mistake. When you prepare your budget recommendations for next year take a second look at your vocational and technology programs. They are a strong component of the overall school experience and not just ancillary to your core course offerings.

Writing a Blog is No Easy Task

As you probably have noticed I haven't updated this site in six months. My only excuse is a lack of focus. I never realized just how much work went into creating a new blog every week. I've developed a whole new level of respect for those writers who must create a well thought out news or human interest piece on a regular basis. It is truly a lot of work.

Every time I thought about writing for this site I came up with a dozen things to do instead. This doesn't bode well for my commitment to the writing process. In the future, I will try and do better.

The Principal Guy

See You In September

The singer Brian Hyland popularized the song "See You In September" back in the 60's and the first 2 lines of the song summarize my sentiments exactly... "See you in September. See you, when the summer's through." I enjoyed writing this blog and look forward to continuing my posts after what I'm certain will be a very restful and rewarding vacation.

Best of luck to all my colleagues who are retiring. On behalf of children everywhere, thank you for your support throughout your career. Your contributions cannot be measured but their effects are profound and will impact our society forever. I wish you a very fulfilling retirement. For those of us who are continuing their administrative career, make sure you take a break this summer and recharge your batteries.

Lastly, best of luck to all the new graduates. May your life be full of happiness and success.

Sincerely,

The Principal-guy

A Few Words About Micro Managing Your Staff

Let me begin by saying that some of my best friends are Micro Managers. Having said that, I don't understand! I get the part about wanting to ensure that every task that your staff members undertake is done correctly. I also get the part about being in control. But how are your department supervisors and teachers supposed to take ownership of their little kingdoms when they think that you have them under a microscope and are second guessing them at every turn.

Contrary to popular belief, the opposite of micro managing is not anarchy! A senior administrator once told me "Never give any responsibility away that you don't already know inside and out." If you want your staff to buy into your goals for your school then you have to give them the opportunity to take ownership of their work. Being active participants in the decision making process is critical in turning observers into stakeholders. This will only happen when your staff members are given the chance to try out new techniques and learn from their successes and failures. By your remote monitoring of their activity you can hopefully keep the failures to a minimum.

Another point to consider is that we are supposed to be identifying and training future administrators. I don't see how you can do that if you don't give your staff the opportunity to take a leadership role and make some decisions on their own. Just remember that the title Principal is an abbreviation for Principal Teacher. How successful would a teacher be if they did everything for their students and didn't give them a chance to work on their own?

Reflective Practices and the End of Another School Year

As another school year stampedes to a close it would be easy to focus all of our energies on final exams and graduation rates. In many school districts this is the measure by which a school year is deemed to be successful or not. Many of our colleagues gauge their own professional self worth by these various exit measures and to do so would greatly diminish all that had been accomplished during the preceding 9 months.

There's no score that measures all the daily triumphs and personal growth that takes place for our students and staff. There is no percentile rank for the teacher who has gained his / her confidence after successfully teaching a new and challenging course. All the small victories on and off the athletic field doesn't always make it into the record book. The student who volunteered to work on the stage crew and discovered the world of acting may have gained more from that experience than from all the classes in the world. If you've spent even one year working with young people in a school then you know what I mean.

Sure its important that your students pass their exit exams and graduate from your school but there is so much more that goes into determining whether or not your school had a successful year. As we enter the final month of school and you gear up for that last great push, don't loose sight of all that you and your staff have accomplished during the other 9 months.

School District Politics Is a No Win Situation

In New York State this past week every school district voted on their respective budgets and the selection of new Board of Education members. A very stressful process in these difficult economic times. What is less stressful, but equally important to a school administrator is the selection of Board of Education members. In a well organized district, the role of the Board of Education is to set policy. Unfortunately, in even the best organized district with the strongest Superintendent, Board Trustees usually want to get involved in the management of the schools in their district. Whatever you do, don't participate in this process.

Although you might view a Board Trustee as a potential benefactor for your school or as a confidential assist in your move up the professional latter, don't get involved. Many school districts have written policies regarding the interaction of Board of Education members and school administration. In some districts this type of communication it is strictly forbidden. In other districts, informational requests made by Board Trustees must be forwarded to the Superintendent's office. Just be careful. Often times, conversations which appear to be innocent between school administrators and Board members are really fact finding missions for the purpose of embarrassing your Superintendent.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that every time a Board Trustee speaks to you that they are up to no good. But unfortunately it only takes one inadvertent slip of your tongue, or one of your subordinates to make your life miserable. The last thing that you want to be is the ping pong ball between your angry Superintendent and a contentious Board member.

So my advice to you is simple. When you are approached by a Board of Education member, be courteous and respectful and always direct their questions to your Superintendent for a response. This policy may annoy your Board Trustee in the short run and save your professional ass in the long run.

Mind Numbing Meetings Must End

I just finished attending another mind numbing 2 hour administrative meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to summarize a series of other mind numbing meetings that were held during the course of this school year. This meeting was a huge success and also a colossal waste of time. We reviewed the decisions made at previous meetings and everyone congratulated everyone else for a wonderful collegial job. Before I knew it 2 hours had past and exactly what had I accomplished?

Everything that was discussed in this meeting could have been conveyed via e-mail or a written memo. How many times have you had to attend one of these administrative wastes of time when you could have been in your school working on the instructional program or dare I say it, interacting with students and staff!

I firmly believe that the only way that Central Office types can justify their existence is through these never-ending meetings. I don't know if they don't realize how much time we have to spend out of our school by virtue of these meetings or they just don't care. In my own case I have taken my objection to these meetings one step further. I have never subjected my teachers to unnecessary faculty meetings when I could accomplish the same task through memos. I realize that it is my right to hold these meetings and sometimes they are warranted but most of the time they aren't.

So if any of you Central Office types are listening, minimize the number of administrative meetings we have to attend and let us remain in our schools where we belong.