A Principal’s Tale
Is this your story?
Once upon a time, in a land a lot like yours, there was a woman named Chris who loved working with children of all ages.
She became a teacher and was very popular with her students because they knew they could learn in her class. She was also popular with other teachers because she smiled a lot (even when others complained) and really enjoyed bringing a joyful spirit into her school. Sometimes she would say something to make others laugh. Sometimes she just listened. Leaders saw her big heart, and - in time - she became an administrator.
Chris wanted every student and every teacher in her school to feel important, so she looked for opportunities to connect with each one. She learned about their hobbies, their families, their favorite foods. If a shy student was reading a book, Chris checked it out of the library so she could read it too and ask about the characters. Her efforts paid off. Her attitude was contagious. The culture in her school shifted to a more caring community focused on belonging. Incidentally, attendance improved and student achievement grew.
Then Chris was promoted to Principal. A dream come true!
Or was it? Now she was responsible for the school budget, listening to parent complaints, determining whether to hire an extra custodian, evaluating teacher performance, and improving special education test scores.
She knew where to go to solve most problems, but she knew that improving test scores was not an easy fix.
Where should Chris start? She had never been a special educator.
She decided to go on a quest for answers to these 2 questions:
What does strong inclusion look like? Chris only knew the practices she had seen. How did she know if teachers were strong? How would she know if teachers needed more support? What should she look for when she visited inclusive classrooms? What’s a principal’s role with inclusion?
Is there a link between inclusive teaching practices and improved test scores? Do some kids just score low because they are low achievers? Is there anything teachers can do to change that? How could she support teachers’ growth?
Chris’ quest took her on an epic journey -- over tall mountains and across deep seas. She spoke with wise gurus and data wizards. She searched high and low in research databases, in leadership journals, and online courses. She found that every source had some answers, but how could she organize them all into her principal’s briefcase and help her faculty?
And then one day she watched a webinar: Inclusive Practice: Tame the Chaos. In this one webinar, a Fairy Princess shared the Winning Formula for Success that she had developed from a half century of experience. The Princess revealed the Principal Accelerator! Chris was stunned!
In this one 8 week program principals would learn key tenets of inclusion, and access tools and strategies that Chris had already accumulated in her quest, plus MORE! AND it was all organized for busy principals. Like magic, her quest was over!
Moral of the Story: Save your time and energy! Join the Principal Accelerator to find the answers to your questions.
Deadline - July 3!
