Principals' Office

The NAESP Election Results Are In!

Congratulations to the principals who were elected to the NAESP Board of Directors in this year’s election:

President-elect: Barbara Chester, Cherry Park Elementary School, Portland, Oregon

Zone 5 Director: John Ansman, Roberta Tully Elementary School, Louisville, Kentucky

Zone 7 Director: Kenny Jones, Parkside Elementary School, Powell, Wyoming

Zone 9 Director: Dwight Liddiard, East Meadows Elementary School, Spanish Fork, Utah

The 2009-2010 board will begin its term July 1, with Diane Cargile of Rio Grande Elementary School in Terre Haute, Indiana, as president.

Learn from the Veterans or Mentor the Next Generation

The best advice that a new principal can receive is from another experienced principal. NAESP offers two mentoring opportunities so that novice and veteran principals can connect. Experienced principals can increase leadership capacity and share knowledge and skills with principals who are newer to the profession by undergoing training through the National Principal Mentoring Certification Program. Upcoming mentor training dates are June 17-19 in St. Paul, MN and June 24-26 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

On the other side of the mentoring coin, if you are a principal within the first three years of your career and are interested in advice and suggestions from principals around the country, then you should apply to be the Mentor Center’s beneficiary for the next school year. To be considered, send an e-mail to Vanessa St. Gerard at vstgerard@naesp.org. In the message, write a few sentences about your school and why you would like to participate. Applications are due by May 31. To see how Mentor Center works, go to www.naesp.org/mentorcenter.

Swine Flu Worries

In response to the rising number of cases of swine flu (H1N1 virus) that have affected numerous U.S. schools, NAESP created a flu prevention page on its Web site. On it you will find a special edition of Report to Parents titled “Key Facts About Swine Flu,” printed in both English and Spanish, that principals can distribute to their parents. Also on the page is a link to the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site that offers guidance to school leaders about the H1N1 virus, a Communicator article titled “Principals Urged to Plan for Possible Flu Pandemic,” updated reports about federal action taking place on Capitol Hill, and additional valuable resources.

As of Monday, the Associated Press reports that up to 330,000 students nationwide have missed school as a result of closings related to the H1N1 virus. Tell us how probable and/or confirmed swine flu cases have affected schools in your district.

What Does It Take to Become a Principal?

The May/June issue of Principal magazine includes a Speaking Out article that reveals the type of preparation the author believes a teacher needs to become a principal.

The author insists that aspiring principals should “earn their stripes” as successful teachers before becoming school administrators, and that extensive teaching experience is a requisite for effective instructional leadership. “How principals acquire the skills they need to become accomplished leaders is dependent on their experiences as teachers,” the author wrote.

Do you agree? How many years of teaching do you feel are appropriate?

Countdown to Summer

As the end of the school year draws near, we’d like to hear about what’s going through your mind. Here’s this month’s My Two Cents question from Principal magazine: What’s the most difficult part of closing out the school year and what do you most look forward to as the school year comes to an end?

Here’s what some of you have responded:

What I most look forward to as the school year comes to an end is seeing the growth of the students and the progress they have made throughout the year. And then, of course—summer vacation!

Tammy D. Condren
Principal
Marion C. Early Elementary
Morrisville, Missouri

One of my two schools of which I am the principal is closing due to budget issues. The children whose school is closing are all coming to my other school, which is 10 minutes away. Therefore, I am looking forward to having all of my students together on one campus. The difficult part of closing will be not having a place for all of the outstanding teachers and staff who will be placed in other schools. Some staff will make little money and have a long drive from where they live. Tough times call for tough decisions and my heart goes out to all that are losing an integral part of their community.

Susan Summers Persis
Principal
W. F. Burns Oak Hill Elementary
Indian River Elementary
Edgewater and Oak Hill, Florida

Let us know your two cents!

NAESP Election “Goes Electronic” With eBallots

NAESP election time is fast approaching for the 2009 membership year. This year’s election will “go electronic” and use eBallots! We are very excited about this important transition to online voting. We hope this change will make it easier for our eligible members to vote and increase the overall voter turnout.

The positions being filled this year are president-elect, Zone 5 director, Zone 7 director, and Zone 9 director. Read each candidate’s bio on the NAESP Web site and look out for an e-mail on/around April 14, which will direct you to a secure Web page at VoteNet, our election provider.

Good luck to all candidates!