ACADEMY FOR NEW PRINCIPALS
Support/mentoring program for principals in their first two years as a principal

CONNECTIONS
A year long professional learning workshop series for women high school principals

EXPERT LEADERS SERIES
Learning opportunities that build awareness of cutting edge thinking around educational issues

INSTITUTE FOR ASPIRING PRINCIPALS:
A new program designed to prepare future principals of high priority schools

KEYNOTE SERIES:
This series, modeled after the very successful Expert Leaders, will consist of one-half day presentations by national leaders, highly esteemed by education practitioners. These presentations will build awareness of the latest research on successful reform efforts with time for dialogue with participants. The presentations will focus on big issues in education reform with examples of "next steps" to improve school strategies.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
As all leaders must be broadly educationed an knoweldgeable about the world: opportunities to participate in international conferences, exchanges and study.

TOOL BOX SERIES
A series of learning opportunities modeled on the eight leadership roles for school improvement, described by the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI) and supported by the Georgia Board of Regents

Principals Center
Georgia State University
PO Box 3977
Atlanta, GA 30302-3977
Phone: 404-413-8256

WELCOME
Welcome to the Principals Center, a safe place where school leaders can confront the issues met everyday while leading and managing school communities. This is a place where education professionals can come together to learn and share dreams and frustrations, to laugh and to grow. We hope you will join our learning community and find strength, knowledge, and excitement to meet the challenge of being a school leader.

Although our bricks and mortar home is at Georgia State University in Atlanta, we hope this site is a way to reach a broader community of colleagues so that professional learning and networking is extended beyond jurisdictional, political or geographic boundaries. Because the role of a school principal is demanding, often very lonely, we hope this is a place created for each of you to help to maneuver those challenges.

If you are going to be in the Atlanta area anytime this year, please register for our sessions listed in the calendar. These programs are designed to keep principals abreast of the most current thinking in our field, provide opportunities to refine leadership skills and learn new strategies for improving school performance and student achievement.

NEWS

    

FIRST YEAR PRINCIPALS

If you are in your FIRST year as a school principal and you want to be on the invitation list to a very special event in your honor, please contact us so we can add you to the list. 

SAVE Tuesday, May 6, 2008 for a great evening at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

 

International Network of Principals' Centers Annual Conversation will be in New Orleans, October 29 - November 1, 2008. Stay tuned to this site for more information.

 

 CURRENT AND FORMER SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

Reflect On Their First Year As A School Principal       

 

What you did the day you said, “It’s ok! I’m going to be a great principal.”

·         I actually managed to leave after only 10 hours! (New Principal)

·         Completed a huge report on time! (New)

·         A tough parent came to apologize and began to be a team player vs an adversary!

·         I “herded” students to the GRAD rally and we all returned after having a great day!

·         I began to understand the power of delegation (New)

·         The evening the school board voted for my recommendation not to renew the contract of a successful cross country coach who was a hometown boy. (16 year veteran principal)

 

What happened the day you said, “Whoa! Why did I think I wanted to be a principal?”

·         After a heated board meeting a disturbed parent grabbed me by the throat (11 year veteran)

·         When I heard nothing but complaints (New Principal)

·         One custodian in my office quitting; at the same time a cafeteria monitor was on the phone saying she has found a full time job (New Principal)

·         Enrolled a family of 3 with all different and difficult issues

·         What I planned to do never happened! (New Principal)

·         Several events took place that needed my attention; these events defined me/my leadership style.  (New)

·         Staff member filing formal complaint against me

·         That was today

·         The incident involving a male teacher and a 10th grade girl. Yes, imagine the worse.  1986 was the year, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. (16 year veteran)

·         All within a 4 hour period: a K child was missing, actually hiding from everyone while the faculty & staff looked frantically for him; a parent came to school angry that breakfast was cut off too early even though class was in session at 8:30; a teacher’s car was vandalized and a volunteer fainted (New)

Looking back, what is funny now  that wasn’t then?

·         We used a fire drill to avoid a student walkout (11 year veteran)

·         A 350 lbs truck driver wanting to fight because I turned him in to DFCS

·         Student being left at SciTrek after field trip!

·         When I found out I had to replace half the teachers and all the custodial staff before I could even think about students! (New Principal)

·         The need to redirect staff in meetings in a manner similar to redirecting students during instruction (New)

·         Excuses that I get for NOT being able to do something (New)

·         The time I was showing the executive director how nice, quiet and focused my students and staff were, when Bill came screaming and careening around yelling at the top of his voice “They’re after me!”

·         We had someone leaving surprises all over the school (to keep this clean) we named this person the Phantom Pooper.