About the Author.

Introduction.

ONE: Recruitment and Retention.

Set up a logical and effective recruitment committee.

Establish clear expectations for the new position.

Charge the committee with creating an evaluation rubric.

Research the candidate completely and effectively.

Provide an effective mentor for the new hire.

TWO: Safety and Emotional Well-Being.

Conduct regular inspections of the school.

Make the school as personal as possible.

Protect students from intrusion and disruption.

Create effective systems for keeping track of students.

Protect the emotional well-being of students.

Have an up-to-date crisis management booklet and team.

THREE: Keeping Up.

Maintain a high standard of knowledge in the profession.

Follow a small selection of special interests.

Take advantage of the resources in your area.

Review recent developments in education.

FOUR: Meetings.

Schedule meetings only when truly necessary and prepare for them carefully.

Make meetings worthwhile.

Make faculty and department meetings interesting.

Hold a retreat for major issues.

Use Forced Choice as a last resort.

FIVE: Staff Development.

Form a learning community or study group.

Be certain that your staff development course is inclusive and complete.

Focus the study group on a manageable goal.

Make staff development courses relevant.

Carefully plan and execute in-service and professional development courses.

Limit the number of professional development classes.

Compensate every group and course participant.

SIX: Leadership.

Know who you are as a school leader.

Understand that all leadership work is situational.

Be certain that you should be in the leadership position for this particular task.

Set priorities for your work and stick to them.

Limit your priorities.

Be the last person to get overwhelmed.

Worry about ethics, legality, fairness, and decency all the time.

Be certain that your leadership responsibilities and assignments are appropriate.

Build sufficient leadership capacity.

SEVEN: Charisma and Creativity in Leadership.

Find the right person or people for the task.

Balance committee membership.

Use brainstorming.

Use charisma and creativity carefully.

Aim high.

EIGHT: Supervision of Staff.

Make sure you are in the right school or district.

Meet with your supervisor and your staff.

Seek collegial methods of supervision.

NINE: Statistical Data and Other Forms of Information.

Determine what data you are receiving now and their value.

Determine what data will serve your purpose and who should collect them.

Determine what data and information you will require for the school and who should receive them.

Determine the best ways to present data.

Understand your state’s standards, tests, and test result information.

Emphasize results in your data gathering and analysis.

Manage your expectations.

TEN: Parents, Community, and Communication.

Bring parents and other residents together with “area coffees.”

Publish a high-quality newsletter.

Conduct workshops for parents.

Include parents in a site-based school committee.

ELEVEN: Final Thoughts and Advice.

Index.