Principles+of+EAT+Administration+Unit

= Exploring Administrative Careers in Education =

What do principals do? How do they influence the culture of a school? What type of leader are they expected to be? How does their role affect the local community? How do their decisions affect your education?

Learn the answers to these and many more questions as we explore what is involved in being an administrator in this unit.

Who are your administrators? Who is in command? How do you identify who does what?

Take a tour of some of the BISD school website pages and see if you can figure out who is in charge of the school district, of your high school campus, in the event of your principal's absence.

What do administrator's make? Is there a difference between an elementary principal's salary and a middle school principal's salary? If so, why? What does a superintendent make? In table pairs, research the school district you have been assigned to find the salaries of their top adminstrators. Why is there such a difference among districts? Record your findings on the posted chart. What patterns do you see emerging on the chart? Discuss with your partner.

 [|Click here] to access the BISD Salary Schedule.

[[image:Question mark.jpeg align="right"]] May I Ask a Question?
Submit three questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer about the role of a principal. These questions will be asked to the panel of principals who will visit our classroom in the near future. You may ask anything that you are wondering about related to their jobs -- hiring teachers, disciplining students, making a campus action plan, involving the community, planning curriculum, continuous improvement, how he/she got to be a principal, favorite duties, worst duties, and more.

Use individual index cards to submit your questions. Be sure your name is on the top of each card.

= Principal's Leadership Roles =

How do effective school principals transform schools? Read the report, **Leading Learning Communities: Standards for What Principals Know and Be Able to Do.**

[|Leading Learning Communities]


 * What does the statement, "Effective principals are transformational" mean?

In table groups discuss one of the six standards that apply to effective principals.

Table Group 1 - Standard 1 Table Group 2 - Standard 2 Table Group 3 - Standard 3 Table Group 4 - Standard 4 Table Group 5 - Standard 5 Table Group 6 - Standard 6

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">Use poster paper to create a report that will be presented to the entire group. Be sure to include the following:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">List group members at the top of your page.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">List the standard on which you are reporting.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">What does you standard mean? Explain in common terms.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">Identify ways local school administrators exhibit the characteristics, qualities, and aptitudes described in the standard on which you are reporting.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">Give examples from the real-life scenario about how this standard is implemented in schools.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px;">When finished, groups will report their findings to the class.

= Improving American Education is not Optional = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Earlier this year, Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, introduced two very different visions for a revamp of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Read his article, and think about how you feel about his vision.

[|Arne Duncan: Improving American Education is not Optional]

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px; line-height: 1.5;">Create a [|Prezi] slide deck following the guidelines below.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">media type="custom" key="27339894"

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 19.5px; line-height: 1.5;">Be sure that you articulate your thoughts clearly. Make sure your stance is clear. Do not be wishy-washy in presenting your thoughts. Be concise - use few choice and picturesque words.

= Merit Pay Should Be Tied to Student Growth? =

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20.7999992370605px;">In pairs, read //**Education Secretary Arne Duncan Says Merit Pay Should be Tied to Student Growth,**// an <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21px;">interview <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20.7999992370605px;"> with the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21px;">country's <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20.7999992370605px;"> top education administrator, as he discusses what must be done to improve education in this country. Do you agree with him? What does he expect principals to do? Teachers? <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20.7999992370605px;">Jot key points on a notecard as you read. Participate in the classroom discussion and earn "discussion points" as you contribute meaningfully to the conversation

**Let's Prepare for our Panel**

Prepare your discussion guides for tomorrow's panel discussion. Then, volunteer to be a discussion leader for one or more of the questions that will be asked during the discussion.

= **Panel of Principals** =



Question your favorite principals as they share what it is like to be the leader of a campus.

This will be a student led activity with YOU acting as the discussion leaders.

Record your answers to the discussion on the form provided. You will use this information for an upcoming assignment.



= **Reflect on the Panel Discussion** =

Review the panel discussion of yesterday as a group. Discuss the following questions:


 * Which administrator's position was the most interesting to you? Why?
 * Was there anything that surprised you about their roles and responsibilities?
 * Which principal's responsibility was least interesting to you? Why?
 * Are there any questions you still have about a principal's duties?


 * Thank You Very Much **

Let's say thank you to our panel of guests who took time out of their busy days to share information about their jobs.

Each table will be assigned one of the guest principals to thank. Each student will compose a thank you letter using the format provided below. You will have to research some of the information needed by visiting the school website of your principal's campus.

Open the document below. Anything that is highlighted in yellow must be changed. Be sure to save your letter in your Dropbox account so that you can work on it at home.



What is the culture of a school[[image:school culture.jpeg align="left"]]? How do principals influence it?
With your table team, read "What is the Culture of a School?", pp. 124 - 125 in __ Putting It All Together: Education and Training. __



Open the word document above. Discuss the following questions and record your answers on the table.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What is meant by the term "school culture"?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Why is it important for administrators and teachers to know their own school culture?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What are examples of ways that a school's culture can be a positive force for learning?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">How do administrators work to build a positive school culture?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What are examples of ways that a school's culture can be a negative force that interferes with learning? Give examples of incidents that occur at schools nationwide.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What responsibilities do school administrators have in addressing negative forces in school culture?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What do you consider positive about your own school's culture?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What about your school's culture would you like to see improved?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Perception is reality! What does this statement mean? What schools throughout the Metroplex, Texas and the nation immediately make you think of prestige? Academics? Quality athletic programs? Low socio-economic status? Lacking quality? How do schools get these labels? Are they necessarily true? Do labels affect the culture of a school, or is it the culture of the school that creates the labels?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">What is the biggest factor affecting school culture? Do administrators have any control over this factor? Do students? Do parents? Does the Community?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Be sure to participate in the discussion to earn tickets to the "Discussion Drawing."


 * Can a Principal Change the Culture of a School? **

Watch the movie loosely based on former elementary Principal Joe Clark, an inner city principal known as "Crazy Joe". Paterson, New Jersey's Eastside High is in danger of being taken over by the state if test scores do not improve. When Clark is appointed principal, he uses controversial and unconventional ways to fight a school with a culture that leans on excuses, drugs and anger.

Complete the viewer's guide as you watch this education classic.

==

==

If I Were the Principal -
Imagine that you have just been named principal of your high school.

How would you run your campus? Write an essay that discusses what you would do as the lead administrator at your campus. You might include some of the following elements:


 * What type of leader would you be?
 * What would would you focus on?
 * What positive mark would you leave on the school?
 * How could you make your campus a successful learning environment for the students?
 * How would you motivate your faculty?
 * How would you involve the community?

Rules for your essay: Title your essay, "If I Were the Principal." Place your by line underneath.


 * Follow essay format with an introductory paragraph, a body, and a formal conclusion.
 * Clarify your ideas for the reader by offering examples, testimonials, and anecdotes.
 * Avoid unrealistic ideas (I'd have free ice cream in the cafeteria daily) and degrading your school (Our campus is like a prison, so I would allow all students to go off campus for lunch.)
 * Check the writing mechanics in your essay: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.
 * Be consistent in the use of verb tense and person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).

Listen for the due date on this assignment. Do not print until directed to do so. You are allowed to work on your essay outside of class, so save your work to Dropbox or a USB drive to access it away from the classroom.

=** Preparing to Become a Principal **=

How do you become a principal? What type of degree or certification do you have to have?

Complete the table below by investigating 3 colleges of your choice. Follow along with the example you are guided to use by selecting the link below.



[|Texas Tech Principal Certification]

Now it's your turn. Select two more institutions of higher education. They may be bricks and mortar universities or you may select programs that are from online entities.

Complete your research and turn in your completed form.

=** Testing Time **=

Test your knowledge on what you have learned about administrators in education and training this six weeks.

This exam will only be open when class starts. It is time stamped so your first attempt is the one that counts.

= =