Standard V: Managerial Leadership:
Principals/assistant 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/assistant 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 everyday life is crucial for staff to be able to focus its energy on improvement.
Element A. School Resources and Budget: The school executive establishes budget processes and systems which are focused on, and result, in improved student achievement.
Artifact # 1: As a school executive, you must establish budget processes and systems which are focused on, and result in improved student achievement. As a principal resident, I received training and completed projects centered around various budget scenarios. Some of the work that was completed throughout the NCLA MSA program, which helped me better understand the budget processes and systems are featured in the artifacts below. Pictured below is a school budget with totals and descriptors that I developed during one of our Budget class projects. The chart below details how I would have utilize funds to address concerns noted in the Teacher Working Conditions Survey for Benson Middle School.
Element B. Conflict Management and Resolution: The school executive effectively and efficiently manages the complexity of human interaction so that the focus of the school can be on improved student achievement.
Artifact # 1: During my Principal Residency, I had the opportunity to engage in activities along side my mentor principal where we, together as a team, effectively managed the complexity of human interaction, so that the focus of the school could be on improved student achievement. As a principal resident, I worked with various staff members to seek resolutions for various situations. Below are two examples of how I created processes or networked with various staff members, such as the School Improvement Team to address various concerns. The process to seeking a solution for the creation of a new Kindergarten class involved managing the complexity of human interactions between the Banks staff and parents. There was no one way to solve the issue that would have made everyone happy in this situation. Therefore, my mentor principal and I engaged in a process which included seeking the input from School Improvement Team leaders and conducting a meeting with the Kindergarten teachers to get their input. The possible solutions which was generated is seen in the Example 1 below. Once my mentor principal and I made our the decision on how to address the overage in Kindergarten, we then had the task of contacting parents to inform them of our decision and the process of moving their child from one classroom to the new class. The second example below includes the talking points I used while making phone calls to parents of the students we had been chosen to move into the new Kindergarten class.
Element C. Systematic Communication: The school executive designs and utilizes various forms of formal and informal communication so that the focus of the school can be on improved student achievement.
Artifact # 1: As a Principal Resident, I designed and utilized various forms of formal and informal communication with staff so that the focus of the school could be on improved student achievement. One example of this is seen in the artifact below. As a principal resident, I had to communicate with staff about various issues that affected the school and community. We had an incident on campus that involved a parent who was court ordered to stay away from his child. This email was sent to staff instructing them on how to address the parents and school community about the presence of law enforcement on campus. I wrote this letter after seeking advice from the Interim Principal and Superintendent.
Artifact # 2: During my Principal Residency, I fulfilled the role of Testing Coordinator for my intern school. Prior to administering the Third Grade Beginning of Grade (BOG) assessment for Read to Achieve, I sent a letter home to parents informing them about the upcoming testing and the NC Legislation requirements stated in Read to Achieve. The artifact below was the letter sent home to parents to communicate the Read to Achieve requirements of all Third Grade students.
Element D. School Expectation for Student and Staff: The school executive develops and enforces expectations, structures, rules and procedures for students and staff.
Artifact # 1: As a principal resident, one of my responsibilities was handling K-5 bus discipline. Utilizing the Banks PBIS Matrix, I would conference with students who had received three verbal warnings from the bus driver. I would refer to the matrix and reinforce Banks BEST behavior with students. Following the conference, students would receive an Office Discipline Referral (ODR) for all future referrals. I would enforce the expectations, structures, rules, and procedures for students as I handled each referral while using the PBIS Matrix seen below in Artifact # 1.
Artifact # 2: During my Principal Residency, I also enforced the expectations, rules, and procedures for student behavior as it related to their interactions with peers and teachers. When a formal complaint was made by a student, teacher, or parent that involved bullying, I worked with our guidance counselor to conduct a formal bully investigation. The artifact below was a letter I sent home to the parents following a bully investigation, which I conducted after a formal complaint was filed by a parent.