You're the Principal! Now What?

<p>A principal's job is astonishingly complex and its competing demands can be overwhelming especially in the first few years. In this book Jen Schwanke a principal herself provides a mentor's guidance to steer new principals through the period of adjustment and set the foundation for a long and rewarding career. The topics you wish your graduate program had covered are covered here--directly practically and without the jargon.</p> <p>Drawing on her own experience Schwanke provides strategies for tackling the most common yet most daunting challenges of the principalship including</p> <ul> <li>Establishing productive professional relationships</li> <li>Building and maintaining a positive school culture</li> <li>Resolving conflict among staff and parents</li> <li>Providing effective instructional leadership</li> <li>Supporting students' social-emotional needs</li> <li>Conducting staff evaluations and delivering feedback</li> <li>Keeping up with district state and federal mandates</li> <li>Managing the facility and the budget</li> <li>Providing focused and effective professional development</li> <li>Prioritizing responsibilities</li> <li>Learning from student and schoolwide data</li> <li>Planning for growth and change</li> <li>Working through behavior and discipline issues</li> <li>Hiring high-quality teachers and supporting new ones</li> <li>Leading effective meetings</li> <li>Maintaining balance</li> </ul> <p>The standalone chapters provide easy access to the solutions you need for the situations you face. Along with real-life scenarios and critical tips for success you'll find helpful models of what to do what to say and how to say it. This book is a source for ideas any time you encounter a problem and think <em>Now</em> what? It's the beginning of an ongoing conversation about the wonderful and rewarding work of being a principal.</p>