Principals' Office

Principal Offers to Take a Serious Pay Cut

According to a recent The Miami Herald, principal Larry Feldman recently decided to postpone his retirement and offer his services to the cash-strapped Miami-Dade School District for an annual salary of $1 plus benefits.(Now that's what you call commitment.) The district declined Feldman’s proposition because it would be too difficult to replace him, considering his budgeted $1 salary, should he decide to leave before the year was over. Still, some parents have launched an e-mail campaign, and are considering a petition in favor of the popular principal's offer. Stay tuned.

The Talented and Gifted Child

Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews recently addressed the issue of how public schools can best serve talented and gifted children. He published a number of insightful reader comments from parents and educators that illuminate the concerns of helping these students reach their highest potentials. One reader suggested that parents should home school gifted children. What do you think? Can public schools accommodate gifted children?

The May/June 2009 issue of Principal will be dedicated to talented and gifted children, focusing on what schools are doing to support these students and, in the wake of No Child Left Behind, whether or not schools are meeting their needs. For information about how to submit an article about this or other topics, visit the Principal Web page.