Guiding Principles
By Cindy Shapiro
Building leadership is the single-most important factor in a school’s success. It is also what makes the difference between teachers opening their doors and participating in a true learning community or closing their doors and shutting out the noise. The principal creates the atmosphere, sets the vision for professional learning, and is the key ingredient in the culture of a school.
I knew she would give me the space to be creative and innovative in the classroom, and that she would respect me, as a professional.
Throughout my teaching career, I’ve been fortunate to have a small handful of good leaders. And I’ve even encountered a few that I would have worked for my entire career, had circumstances permitted it. In nearly 20 years, I have worked in two states, four school districts, and 10 schools, and in that time I have had what I estimate to be 15–20 different principals. Of these 15–20, I have been fortunate to have three standouts, who, though impacted and influenced by different situations, experiences, and education in their rise to the chair, had a few key principles in common: they fostered and encouraged growth by providing opportunities, they trusted their teachers to be professionals, and they genuinely cared about their people.
Principals’ Corner
