Principals' Office

Engage in Conversations About Diversity During NAESP's Convention

In addition to an impressive list of keynote speakers, author presenters, and concurrent sessions, this year’s convention will feature special events for NAESP’s Diversity Program, a series of special sessions that will focus on the needs of principals serving largely minority student populations in urban schools.

Eric Brown is the featured speaker for the Minority Networking Session, Mentoring African American Males for the 21st Century (Sunday, April 6, 9-11:00 a.m.). The Principals’ Office recently had the opportunity to talk with Brown about leading minority students to their highest potential. Brown is the co-founder of a program in Rock Hill, South Carolina that is tailored to meet the needs of black males. He is also the principal of Killian Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina.

What is the biggest challenge for leaders of schools that have predominantly minority student populations?

Brown: The biggest challenge is that we can’t change the situations that our children face each and every day. We can’t change what society thinks of them, nor can we change the circumstances or conditions that they are exposed to. However, it is my belief that no matter what obstacles they face, it is our job as principals, teachers etc. to ensure that the children who come to us get our very best each and every day. Children don’t get to choose their parents or the situations they face. Principals, however, have the resources, education, and hopefully the determination to make a difference in the lives of these children.

Why is the mentoring process important to the academic success of black male students?

Brown: The mentoring process is key because society and the media have painted a picture of black males as only being able to effectively exist as athletes, singers, etc. Black males, however, have many more talents than that. Exposing young black males to the careers and opportunities that exist for them will help dispel the myths that are associated with them only being proficient in areas that do not require a good education.

What do principals need to know and be able to do in order to be effective leaders of schools serving minority populations?

Brown: In order to effectively serve as a leader of a minority school, principals must have passion for what they do. They must commit to doing whatever is necessary to successfully educate the children in their school. They need to be innovative and have vision. They also need to identify and hire teachers who buy into the vision that all children can learn. Principals must commit to creating an environment where “excellence is the expectation” and they must never stop holding every teacher and child in their school accountable for teaching and learning.

Visit the convention Web site for more information about the Minority Networking Session and the other Diversity Program events: the Competent Culturally Proficient Administrator Workshop; the First Annual Diversity Reception; and the Diversity Forum, led by former Nashville mayor Bill Paxton Purcell III.

Help for Principals Seeking Grants

The lead article of the January 2008 issue of Communicator focused on how principals can find and apply for grants that will benefit their school. Here are a few sites that can help get you started on finding the right grant for your school. Let us know your experiences with finding and applying for funding.

www.grantsalert.com
This site is dedicated entirely to education funding and features a Grant Writers’ Directory—searchable by state or key word—that lists individuals and organizations experienced with writing winning proposals.

www.fundsnetservices.com/educ01.htm
This site provides links to companies and foundations whose funding interests include education. Both large (e.g., Pfizer, Motorola) and smaller, lesser-known (e.g., Bowling Foundation, Frey Foundation) organizations are listed.

www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
This site lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the U.S. Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for fiscal year 2008, and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the submission of applications under these programs.

www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=917
The NAESP Web site lists several more resources to help principals obtain funding for their school.

Cheers to the New Year!

The Principals’ Office will be taking a break for the next two weeks. Check back in with us in January for continued discussions of the complexities of the principalship and engaging posts that connect you with your colleagues.

We wish you a wonderful holiday season and all the best for the new year!

Practice Vocabulary; Help Combat World Hunger

FreeRice.com donates 20 grains of rice to the U.N. World Food Program every time a player selects the right definition for a particular word. This vocabulary quiz site, which debuted in October, has generated interest from children and adults alike, to the tune of more than 8.2 billion grains of rice to date. The rice is paid for by advertiser income.

The site was created by a computer programmer seeking to help his son prepare for the SAT’s verbal section. Teachers of all grade levels have encouraged their students to take a stab at this “game,” which includes words ranging from “solve” and “quickly” to “ebullient” and “spelunker.”

Wonderful and Wacky Gifts

It’s that time of year again, when parents and students present school staff with holiday gifts as a “thank you” for the work you’ve done during the school year. Over the years, we’re sure you’ve received wonderful, unique, tasty, and even odd gifts, both homemade and store-bought, from your students—some that have become quite sentimental and others that you’re not quite sure what to do with.

What are some of your favorite gifts you received from your students? What’s the most amusing gift you’ve received? And what’s the one gift you’ll never forget—whether good or bad?

A Slam Dunk for D.C.-area Schools

NBA star Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards has selected 82 schools from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to be participants in his Scores for Schools program. Each of the schools will be assigned to one of the Wizards’ 82 games during the 2007-2008 season and will receive $100 for every point Arenas scores during that game. Last season, Arenas averaged 28.4 points per game, which added up to about $3,000 for each selected school.

Arenas will foot the bill for each of the 41 home games, while Wizards owner Abe Pollin will put up his own money for the 41 away games the team will play. Last year, Pollin and Arenas donated almost $215,000 to D.C.-area schools.

With much of the negative press that professional athletes get these days, it’s nice to know that some of them are doing good things in the community and looking out for their young fans—and the schools they attend. Thanks, Gilbert and Abe!

Power to the Principal

New Orleans joins a handful of cities whose districts give autonomy to public school principals. Following the lead of school districts in New York City, San Francisco, and Oakland, California, Recovery District superintendent Paul Vallas aims to give principals authority to hire their staff, as well as control over their budgets, according to The Times-Picayune.

Following a charter school model, principals in the state-run New Orleans schools will have the independence to recruit and hire their own teachers and academic support staff, and control the use of federal Title I grant money, beginning next school year. In the latest issue of Principal magazine, authors Steven Adamowski and Michael J. Petrilli weigh in on the issue of bridging the autonomy gap.

Boomers in the Classroom

As the famed baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, many states are taking advantage of this population as a pool for school volunteers. Read about a former state-government employee who is spending her retirement years as a volunteer in a Baltimore elementary school in “States turn to seniors for help in classrooms”.

Avoid Serving Alphabet Soup to Parents

NCLB, AYP, IDEA, IEP—these are but a few of the numerous acronyms and abbreviations that principals and other educators use on a regular basis when discussing education. Throw in the district- or state-specific terms, such as the acronyms used for some state tests, and it’s no surprise that many parents are scratching their heads when they see the alphabet soup all over school letterhead, or even in newspaper articles.

According to a recent Tennessean article, one school system provides a catalog of phrases for parents to learn as a way to help ease the possible confusion. It’s no easy task for us to keep track of all the abbreviations, so make sure to keep that in mind when corresponding with your students’ parents.

Share your Humorous Stories

School is out, and now is the time for reflection. Instead of only gauging the success of the teaching and learning going on in your schools, also think about all the funny episodes that occurred this year. Chances are that you will soon be laughing out loud.

Share your funny stories with fellow principals by submitting humorous anecdotes about school life for publication in Principal magazine. Include your full name, title, and address and send your favorite stories to publications@naesp.org. If your story is published, we’ll send you a copy of the magazine and a pencil that says “I’m a funny principal!”

Doing Whatever It Takes, Part II

According to the numerous comments on the earlier post about activities that principals undertake in the name of student motivation, principals can get pretty creative when it comes to inspiring students to put forth their best efforts. But none of the comments included giving out cold, hard cash, as is the proposal for a special program in New York City schools. Participants of the program could earn up to $500 for doing well on standardized tests and showing up for class, The New York Times reports. The privately funded incentive program, which would start this fall, would also include cash payments for parents who provide stable environments for their school-aged children by, for example, keeping a full-time job and having health insurance. Opponents of the plan argue that students must develop an appreciation for learning for learning’s sake, and cash incentives do not instill this value.

Doing Whatever It Takes

To the delight of many students, principals nationwide are submitting to the silly, outlandish, and sometimes embarrassing activities that they promised if students reached a predetermined goal. Shaving or dyeing their hair, eating worms, spending time on the school’s roof, getting a pie (or two) in the face, and sitting in dunk tank are among some of the ideas that principals and their students have come up with.

The goals principals give their students vary from surpassing a fundraising goal to doing well on state exams. “It’s important to have fun at school as well as work really hard,” said principal Candy McCarthy, who recently spent five hours atop her school for her students. “It motivates [the students]. It’s just something silly and crazy,” she added

McCarthy certainly is not alone. What other ideas have you come up with over the years to motivate your students? What are the funniest you’ve heard or read about?

Double Take

More and more twins, triplets, and other multiple-birth children are seen in school buildings these days, and it seems that principals face the dilemma of whether to keep siblings in the same classes throughout the year. According to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, 21 states have either passed legislation or are considering laws concerning twins or other multiples in schools. Parents appear to be adamant one way or the other about how to place their children, so legislators have sided with them by proposing laws that would leave the decision in the hands of the parents.

There is no cut-and-dry research as to whether it is better to separate multiples or keep them together in the classroom, which makes the issue a bit complex. It would be interesting to know what some principals’ experiences have been with multiples in their schools.

Bee Season

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is coming up at the end of the month with its usual fanfare. But one teacher at Cedar Grove Elementary School will not be mimicking spelling contests in her first-grade class because she thinks “they honor the children who already know how to spell, but they do little to support those who need explicit instruction.” Read last week’s Washington Post article that states that even though spelling bees have become very popular, the teaching of spelling has been overlooked because it is not covered on high-stakes tests. 

History 101

Although fourth- and eighth-grade history scores have improved overall, neither grade saw an increase in students grasping more than a basic comprehension of the subject. A recent government report reveals that the best results were in fourth grade, where 70 percent of students attained the basic level of achievement or better. The report also indicates that the progress in history in general was made by students working at the lowest levels.

There are mixed feelings about what these results imply. On the one hand, some argue that this shows that NCLB’s focus on reading and math instruction is taking away from other subjects such as history. But on the other hand, the focus on reading may be what is helping the lower-level students to increase their scores in other subjects.

Washington State Principals Join the Blogosphere

Check out the Association of Washington School Principals’ new blog, The Comp Book. It’s great to see more principals using blogs to communicate with their staff and parents (and the general public).  For example, Arizona principal Steve Poling has Mr. P’s Blog, Oklahoma principal Jan Borelli has Dr. Jan’s Blog, and Washington principal Glen Malone has Almost Monday. These are just a few of the principal blogs that have been launched. Have you started a blog? If so, send us a link to it.

Old School School

Do you remember what school was like in your day—before smart classrooms and technology centers were common place? While most students can’t conceive of schools of the past, fifth graders at Indian Hills Elementary School in Hopkinsville, KY, had the opportunity to experience one-room turn-of-the-century schooling at the recently restored Beverly Academy. The school opened in 1889, was restored in 1999, and today serves as a museum to show the public what public school looked like over one hundred years ago. Indian Hills students, for example, used a pulley system to gather water, and used slate boards and chalk to practice math lessons.

Creative Approaches to Fundraising

We received many, many comments from the principals who took the NAESP fundraising survey. Some principals felt that schools should not be in the business of fundraising, others thought it was good for school spirit but worried about having to rely so much on the revenue for basic items. Principals are also looking at more creative ways to fundraise in their school. We asked a few principals about this and here’s what they had to say:

At Steve Poling’s Arizona school, the PTO held a Read-A-Thon to encourage children to read while raising money, rather than just sell catalogue merchandise. Poling says they raised just as much through the Read-A-Thon as they would normally raise selling “catalogue stuff that nobody wants anyway.”  Another treat was that the PTO president filmed a hilarious video to promote the Read-A-Thon and to show students in their kick-off assemblies. You can access it at  http://www.maranausd.org/DG/Parents/readathon.html.

Missouri’s Teresa Tulipana doesn’t believe principals should provide fundraising incentives that encourage students to disrespect the office of the principal. “Relationships with students are important and it’s important to be fun and approachable, but I believe some of these activities border on disrespect,” says Tulipana. “We must do everything we can to raise the level of respect for our profession....so, rather than a pie in the face, invite small groups to your office for ‘Pie with the Principal.’ Instead of the dunk tank, coordinate a school-wide basketball contest to see who can dunk the ball. Be creative—establish incentive programs (and fundraisers) that build relationships, build trust, build respect, and promote the academic goals of the school.”

Oklahoma’s Jan Borelli thinks principals should give more attention to grants, rather than focus solely on fundraising. “Every year there are thousands of dollars that don’t get used because no one applies," says Borelli. “I think that we should start considering the time and effort we put in on selling traditional ‘stuff’ and use that time more effectively by applying for grant opportunities.  Google ‘educational grant opportunities’ and get started.  My school has received a total of $15,000 from Lowe’s Toolbox for Education, Laura Bush Library Grants, and the Dollar General Store.”

What are some creative approaches that you have tried with fundraising?  Let us know here at the Principals’ Office.

Principals Share Their Thoughts on Fundraising

NAESP released the results of its 2007 fundraising survey during its 86th Annual Convention and Exposition in Seattle (which, by the way, was a great success). More than 1,000 K-8 principals from urban, rural, and suburban schools in every state and the District of Columbia took the online survey that looked at the value of fundraising.  The results show that many principals are experiencing fundraising fatigue, but because of rising operating costs, shrinking budgets, and enrollment booms they are also increasingly dependent on the fundraising revenue

Send an e-mail to publications@naesp.org to request a summary of the fundraising survey results.

Urban Teachers, Principals Have High Expectations and Respect for Students

A majority of urban teachers and building administrators hold high expectations for students and care whether students are successful, according to a national survey conducted by the National School Boards Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education. However, the survey also found that nearly one-third of teachers and nearly 16 percent of administrators agree that students at their schools are not motivated to learn.  Nearly one-quarter of teachers also agree that most students at their school would not be successful at a community college or university. On the other hand, only 7 percent of principals and assistant principals agree with that statement.

The survey report, Where We Teach, outlines findings from 12 urban school districts in 10 states. The survey’s findings are grouped under eight areas: bullying; expectations of success; influence of race; professional climate; professional development; parental involvement; safety; and trust, respect, and ethos of caring.

NAESP, NASSP, NEA, and AFT collaborated on the study’s recommendations. The full report, Where We Teach, can be downloaded at www.nsba.org.

Are Private Schools Better than Public Schools?

In the March/April issue of Principal magazine (Can Public Education Survive?) Henry Braun, the Boisi Professor of Education and Public Policy at Boston College's Lynch School of Education, tackles the private schools vs. public schools debate. Braun applies a different assessment model for analyzing NAEP data for students in grades 4 and 8 and shares some surprising results.

Why We Need Public Schools

Yes, we know it’s a no-brainer, but you may find some interesting tidbits in the report “Why We Still Need Public Schools” that you can share with your staff and community members. The report highlights the history and importance of public education and examines six core missions of public schools, including the goal of providing an equal opportunity for millions of children. The Center on Education Policy’s report is a great way to share what’s right with our public schools and can be accessed at http://www.cep-dc.org/PublicSchoolFacts/why/.

Louisiana Principal Reflects on Integration

Terrific article in yesterday’s Shreveport Times about Principal Cathleen Johnson’s reflections on her tumultuous entry into the field of education. Johnson integrated Bossier Elementary in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1970 as the first African-American teacher and 37 years later she’s still there—but now she’s the principal. We can all find great inspiration in her story.

Public School Principals Report on Their School Facilities

Principals discuss the conditions of their school buildings in a new report by the Ed Department’s National Center for Education Statistics. The report looks at nine environmental factors in school buildings (including physical condition, air quality, air conditioning, and lighting) and the extent to which principals believe those factors are interfering with the ability to deliver instruction to students. The report also looks at approaches for coping with overcrowding and the ways in which schools use portable buildings.

The bottom line? Between 63 percent and 92 percent of principals are satisfied with their permanent buildings (depending on the environmental factors). Although close to half of the principals also indicated that at least one or more of the environmental factors interfered with instruction to some extent.

Who is that Masked Man?

Principals can be pretty creative when it comes to motivating their students to learn. For 20 years, NAESP Board Member and Michigan principal Bill Rich has been visiting classrooms as “Zero the Hero” to inspire his K-1 students. When Zero the Hero is around, dates that end with a zero become very special days as the children become engaged in all types of counting activities.

“Like most schools, we have a big celebration for 100 Days, but it is important to celebrate each Zero Day to give the students a shorter time between celebrations,” says Rich. “As the students become excited about an upcoming Zero Day, the teachers can use that motivation for asking questions about numbers during the daily calendar times. On Day 47, for example, teachers can ask questions like: “How many days since we last saw Zero?” or “How many times has Zero visited us this year?”

“While I have never admitted to a parent or student that I dress as Zero, I can’t walk into our middle school or high school and not have students say, ‘There goes Zero the Hero,’” says Rich. “We all do some crazy things to participate in the education of our students. Hopefully we can leave students with some enjoyable memories.”

Happy Holidays!

The Principals’ Office will be taking a temporary hiatus next week. We wish everyone a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year. We would also like to take a moment to thank our nation’s principals for the awesome job that they do and for their continued commitment to their students and teachers. See you in January!

What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?

Someone once said that “A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” But the Principals’ Office prefers the more optimistic tone of Oprah Winfrey, who said “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Some principals have made New Year’s resolutions for their schools. For example, Oklahoma Principal Jan Borelli says this year her school started a walking program and her New Year’s resolution is to follow through with the program. “Some of us (most un-notably ME) have spent the time watching rather than participating,” says Borelli. “My faculty and I are committed to fully participating when we get back in January.”

For Missouri Principal Teresa Tulipana, the thought of adding something to the work that her school already does seems daunting. “We are nearing capacity and one more initiative or one more committee may be all it takes to push us past capacity,” says Tulipani. “So in 2007, I resolve to help my school focus on what is, in the words of Stephen Covey, ‘wildly important.’ By narrowing our focus to two or three wildly important areas or initiatives, I believe we can make a significant impact for students. This narrowed focus will allow us to work smarter, to pool our energies, and to maximize our potential as a school team.”

What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2007? Share your resolution with the Principals’ Office.

Coping with the Stress of the Holiday Season

Stress comes in all forms during the holiday season—overcrowded malls, last minute gifts to buy, skyrocketing plane ticket prices. We asked some principals if they experience an increase in stress at their schools during this time and here’s what they had to say.

Missouri Principal Teresa Tulipana writes: Stress is a reality of the holiday season. For some students, there is the uncertainty of what the holidays will bring and the prospect of being home for an extended period of time. Whether students will admit it or not, the structure of the school day gives them great comfort. Holidays are also stressful for parents because financial concerns and added responsibilities can create a great burden. Couple this with staff members who are experiencing similar stressors and a full calendar, and stress will definitely impact a school. I personally combat it by increasing my level of organization and focus on what’s really important—the people in the school and in my life. To help my staff combat the stress, I regularly talk about the stresses they may encounter, model a calm demeanor, and help them celebrate the joys of the season. I also give my staff “The Gift of Time.” This gift, in the form of a poem and candy cane, announces that all faculty meetings in December have been cancelled. Based on the reactions of the staff, you would have thought I bought them each a brand new car! Small gestures of understanding can make a huge difference when a school experiences a stressful time.

Oklahoma Principal Jan Borelli writes: I am principal at an urban school (99 percent of the children receive free- and reduced-lunch) with the highest incidence of child abuse for our county in our attendance area. Some children "act out" the problems they experience in the home while others withdraw and are sad. My faculty and I actively work to bring happiness and joy to the children; and the students at a local private high school adopt our children and come to the school to provide a Christmas (most of our children won't have one) and individual attention for the morning. Instead of focusing on our own stress, my faculty and I make a concerted effort to our children. Of course, the five pounds we gain from eating all the food during this time may be from stress!

Montana Principal Pat Hould writes: I have never felt that the stress level for my school as a whole increase during this time of year. I do believe that stress levels increase for some individual students. Students who have had significant loss in their lives, or who have had trauma that has been detrimental to their immediate families, seem to struggle during the holiday season. While most of my students think of the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays as a time for friends and families to gather, and as a time to exchange gifts, those students whose families have financial challenges struggle. I must say however, that the mere anticipation of the Christmas break does bring a certain "circus energy" to the last few school days in December!

Move over Katie Couric

Guest blogger and Oklahoma principal Jan Borelli recently told us that we should keep our eyes open for one of the newer forms of technology—podcasting. Today, Jan joins her colleague and fellow podcaster, Arizona principal Steve Poling, with the debut of “Principal Necessities,” a new feature where key education figures, authors, and specialists discuss issues, trends, and concerns that are facing principals and other members of the education community. The first broadcast features popular author and presenter, Dr. Ruby Payne, who discusses discipline strategies for the classroom. You can hear Jan and Steve’s interview with Dr. Payne by clicking here.

Principals in the Blogosphere

Earlier this month, the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE) launched the project “100 principal blogs in 100 days” to increase the number of principals in the blogosphere. CASTLE is offering to create and host principal blogs for free through at least the summer of 2007. So far, 33 principals have signed up. The project ends in January.

Thinking about starting your own principal blog but don't know how to get started? While teachers tend to use blogs as curriculum tools, principals lean toward using them as communication tools. To get started, read "Principal Blogs" and "Why Blog As An Administrator."

Let us know if you have your own principal blog and, if so, how you're using it in your school.

Principals as Rock Stars

It’s the second day of NAESP’s National Distinguished Principals Award (NDP) and it’s been a treat listening to the 65 principals speak about how they lead successful schools. They’ve shared stories about how their schools have met AYP, qualified as National Blue Ribbon Schools, and how they create and support successful learning environments.

It’s interesting the way we “celebrify” reality TV stars and wealthy dilettantes. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if principals and teachers received the same treatment — where fans would flock to them, asking them for their autographs and treating them like rock stars? And news cameras would flash like the paparazzi as they walked through their communities. Aw yes, in a perfect world. Yet listening to the NDPs, it’s apparent that they are celebrities in their communities. Our principals may not be rock stars, but they are definitely role models and heroes.

Distinguished Principals To Be Honored Today in Washington, D.C.

NAESP and the U.S. Department of Education today named 65 outstanding elementary and middle school principals as the 2006 class of National Distinguished Principals. They will be honored October 27 at an awards banquet at the Capital Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C. Read excerpts from some of the principals on how this award has impacted them, both personally and professionally.

A Principal's Job is Never Done

The role of today’s principals has changed dramatically just within the last few years. Principals are expected to be mentors, managers, and in some cases magicians. Yet one thing remains the same—their commitment to the success of students and teachers. We hope that NAESP’s new blog, the Principals’ Office, which launches today, will highlight the complex job of principals and also dispel the notion that the principals’ office is a place to visit only when there’s a problem to be solved. We also hope that principals from all over the world will take a moment and engage in conversations with their colleagues. Welcome to the Principals’ Office—where the door is always open.

Is it the Equivalent of the Oscars?

If you ask any of these principals they might just say yes. We asked this year’s National Distinguished Principals (NDPs) what life has been like since they received the award and here's what some of them had to say…

• Jackie Doerr, Arizona: “Ms. Doerr, we are so happy because you won the prize of the year,” “You worked hard and you deserve it,” “We are lucky that you are the principal,” “Ms. Doerr have you met the President yet?,” and “Ms. Doerr, I knew you were the best!”  These were comments from my wonderful students after I got my NDP recognition. The acknowledgement from students, staff, parents and peers has been the most rewarding. As an educator for 39 years, I find that life just keeps getting better and better.

• Dr. Liz Dunham, Germany: The most enjoyable aspect has been the sense of shared pride which surrounds me in the community. We are a small American military base in Germany, and the parents, teachers, students and community members have joined me in celebrating this award. They are particularly proud because my colleague Dr. Russ Claus from our elementary school is a former NDP and everyone is bragging that we ONLY have NDPs in our schools.

• Steve Ahle, California: Since being named an NDP, people are happy to hear about the award and are very congratulatory about it. I have been a principal for 25 years in the Carlsbad Unified School Districtand many of the friends and peers I have worked with have offered their congratulations. I relay that the feeling is mutual since I know all of them share in my successes and development along the way. I feel that they should share in this honor and I inform them I look good because they made me look good. The kids at school, parents that greet me, and teachers all are excited and awaiting the trip to D.C. and ask me if I have gone already, or if I will meet the President. There is a sense of pride that they exude and I feel it as well just representing them.

• Ellen Demray, Michigan: My life as a principal has been so enhanced since I was named the Michigan Principal of the Year and then an NDP! From my very first day back in my district, when my students and staff all lined the hallways and played “Hail to the Chief” while I walked through my building, I have felt so honored and proud of being an educator! I have always felt enormous pride in doing the very best I can for the children placed in my care, whether it was in a classroom or in a whole school, and to have that daily effort recognized has been amazing! The parents at my school are very supportive and the staff is very proud too! But to the kids, I am just Mrs. Demray, who is there every day for them, just as I always was—and that’s the way it’s supposed to be! 

• Ramona Robinson, Alabama: My faculty, students, and staff have had such a great time in celebrating what I feel is an accomplishment for my school and community! My faculty gave me gifts of appreciation, our school board recognized me at a board meeting, and my parents treated me to a day at a spa and an overnight stay at the Marriott. One of my student’s concern has been that I did not get a “trophy!” We had a great laugh with that one!!

• Myron K. Brumaghim, Hawaii: The NPD award for my school and community can best be described as awesome. My students, staff, and community have really viewed this award as a reflection of things to come. It is just unbelievable what it has done for them. 

• Diane Moeller, Minnesota: Since being named an NDP, my life has been a whirlwind. (Of course, that was true before the award and is true for any school principal.) This award has served as a strong source of pride for our school community. The staff, students, and parents are all walking a bit taller with the added recognition. The community even showed its support recently by passing a bond referendum to allow us to build a new school. I would like to think this would have passed anyway, but I believe the positive publicity served us well to help get the word out. For me personally, I am often reflecting on the role of principal as I determine messages to be given to various groups. The more I reflect, the more inspired I am with the great job this is!

• Susan E. Bridges, Virginia: Life is very busy! I have become quite a local celebrity, being featured in three newspapers and on our local television channel. I have been asked to serve on several state-level committees, some of which have involved a visit to our state House of Delegates, and the Lt. Governor paid me a visit at my school this summer when he was in town! I am still receiving congratulatory cards and remarks from colleagues and parents. I truly feel honored by this outpouring of support and celebration.

• Geraldine Branch, Lebanon: I am honored and grateful to have received this award, but it is a quiet matter for me. Only my closest friends, family, and colleagues know, for I work at the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon. The tragic events of the summer have consumed our full attention. As we regain our sense of self and safety, I will celebrate with the school and community as they are the ones who earned the award.

• Charlotte R. Rafferty, Florida: My students recognized me and each child in the school gave me a rose (over 450 roses) and WOW what excitement in the building with the news media there and the television cameras rolling. My Rotary Club also recognized me with a dozen beautiful roses and a standing ovation at the meeting. I have felt so honored and so privileged to be recognized as the Florida NDP.

• Phil Davis, Indiana: I was named Elementary Principal of the Year for Indiana at our Fall Principals’ Conference last November. When I returned to my school the next day I was surprised with a “parade” –and I was the parade! Almost 600 students and staff lined the halls as I “danced” along the parade route. My staff put a king’s crown on me for the parade. My 2^nd graders all blew bubbles and our 3^rd graders threw confetti. I received two binders full of notes from every child, plus numerous congratulations and cards from the staff and community. I am always quick to say that the NDP honor is for our whole school community (knowing that I wouldn’t have received it without all the support of staff, students, and parents). I have been treated like “royalty” by the Indianapolis Star and local newspapers. It has been very overwhelming and humbling, yet, awesome, for the past 10 months!

• Sharon M. Redfern, Montana: Since being named an NDP, I have received many good wishes from friends and colleagues throughout the state. I was greeted with a lovely breakfast, cards, flowers, and congratulations from my staff.  They, and the students, had also prepared a surprise assembly in which the word “Principal” was spelled out with descriptive phrases for each letter. I was also presented with a huge book containing photos and autographs of all my students and staff. I have been featured in the local newspaper and television stations since receiving this award. It has been an honor and a privilege and an incredible experience!

• Scott Stults, Wyoming: Certainly this is one, if not the most, humbling award that I have ever received. It was gratifying to know that the reason I was a recipient of this award was due to being surrounded by a great staff, supportive parents, and hardworking students. It all began in January as we sat in the banquet hall awaiting the announcement of this year’s NDP. Once the DVD began, my throat became dry and my eyes began to swell with tears of excitement and disbelief knowing that I would be joining the elite group of principals that I held in great honor and esteem. My excitement became more realized as I watched clips from the junior high students, teachers, and parents with the climax of my family entering and sharing in this surreal experience. Upon my return to my school, I was celebrated with “high fives” (handprint cut-outs with five reasons for the honor) throughout the school, banners, students and staff dressed in cowboy boots and ties (my normal attire), and an after school celebration. I later received congratulatory letters from our U.S.legislators and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Our local newspaper featured a front page “spread” celebrating my honor. I now anxiously await the red carpet treatment that goes with the official ceremony in Washington, D.C. The “celebrity” status has been nice, but I will also be glad to return back to earth where I can be the same guy I was before this tremendous honor was bestowed. As I have shared, in my heart I truly know this is not an award won by me, but by those students, staff, administrators, and parents that I am blessed to work with on a daily basis. Has my life changed? Yes, and I have enjoyed every minute!

• Deborah Emery, MaineNDP: I live in a small rural town in central Maine, population 1,000, yes that’s right, 1,000. When notification of my award reached the paper, the townsfolk immediately wanted to plan a celebration. We had a reception at the home of one of the elderly women in our town. A large number of residents came to wish me well. I received an outpouring of well wishes, cards, drawings, and gifts from community members. The teachers worked together to my surprise and made me a beautiful queen sized quilt for my home—a beautiful blend of blues and whites and terra cotta—which they presented at a town reception in May. Many of my artifacts from the spring awards are on display in our viewing cabinet in the school lobby. I am so grateful to have been selected for this award; but even more so then before, I feel the commitment to the welfare of children strongly in my heart.

• David Root, Ohio: I was extremely honored to represent hundreds of Ohio middle school principals by virtue of this award. There are many outstanding principals that see to the daily needs of the puberty stricken. Our community has been very supportive, especially since my Assistant Principal, Ms. Gweynn Hampel, was similarly recognized by the OASSP last year as an assistant principal.

• Pete Swanson, Alaska: Life has not really changed much since I was named NDP.  There was an article in the local paper about me receiving the award and many people in our local community have been very kind to congratulate me on receiving the award.  My family certainly has continued to provide a good dose of humility for me even though they are very proud of me and the fact that I received such an award.  My hope is that the award will make more of a difference in the lives of the children, staff, and community that I serve as I am challenged to live up to their even higher expectations.

• Judi Taylor, Idaho: I have such a great intrinsic feeling that others know what I have accomplished or try to accomplish and see that it has worth and value.  It is very rewarding!

• Nancy Gagliardi, Massachusetts: It has been quite an honor to be named NDP!  Last spring, I was honored at my state principals’ meeting by colleagues, friends and family.  Since then I have received recognition at my school and in my community. It has really created a sense of pride and recognition for my entire school community—I am truly thankful for all their hard work and all they have done!

• Virginia F. Hicks, Oregon: The positive response has been warm and touching.  I have felt truly humbled and honored by all the recognition and sometimes I still can’t believe that I received this prestigious award because there are so many hard working, dedicated administrators in Oregon. I was recognized by the Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary and I was asked to speak and share my thoughts on education. The Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) hired a video production company to film our school and it’s NDP! The video was shown at the annual COSA conference in Seaside, Oregon this past June. The video has also been shown at Rotary meetings, schools, and to family and friends. My mother shows her copy to anyone willing to watch it! She even had the hired lawn boys watch it one day when they were mowing her lawn. The local papers, the Jacksonville Review and Medford Mail Tribune have both run articles regarding the award. The Tribune editors printed a very complimentary editorial entitled, “She’s a Believer!,” which focused on my belief that all children can learn and succeed. One of the local TV stations, KTVL, made a short segment for a weekly education highlight called, “Learning Matters.” Two local restaurants picked up my dinner bill as a way to say thank you. I have received many cards, letters, e-mails, and phone calls from all around the state. I have been particularly moved by the number of teachers in my district who have congratulated me and many of them have never worked directly with me. I frequently hear, “It’s about time you were recognized for all you have done for this district.” My staff had a lot of fun with me and hosted a “Na-cho Average Principal” Fiesta featuring nachos and other delicious food. They decorated my office and the staff room in my honor. The most heartwarming moment was when a troubled student that I have worked with for several years gave me a hug and thanked me for being his principal. He said he saw me on the news and wanted me to know that I was a big influence in his life. He said, “You cared about me and you didn’t give up so after a while I decided that I better start caring about myself.” (This student is a 6th grader who has been in foster care for the past three years because his mom is in jail. I shared with him that I lived in foster care growing up also.)

• Bob Ziegler, Florida: Since I was named an NDP, I have experienced a renewed sense of accomplishment and joy as I work with my constituents. The process has caused me to reflect on my experiences and on my philosophical viewpoints. That reflective exercise was very rewarding and enhanced my desire to continue being a school principal. Young and old and middle-aged alike have been saying nice things and congratulating me. I find people are excited to be associated with and led by a NDP.  The new title seems to be a validation from an outside source of my leadership and this carries with it a great deal of weight. I have been given the opportunity to lift up my previous and current staff members as the real award winners. Without them I would not have been able to do and experience so many wonderful things in the education setting. We have celebrated together.

• Billie Jo Drake, Kansas: Obviously, the staff and students used this as a wonderful excuse to organize a school-wide celebration where I was honored by every class, the superintendent, and my family members. Of course, several teachers took the opportunity to “roast” me and wrote a poem in my honor which was later included in the 2005-06 yearbook. The local newspaper and television stations did wonderful interviews and articles and I have been asked to give various presentations throughout the community. It has been an honor that I will treasure for a very long time.

• Loretta Rubin, Connecticut: My life has been very hectic and exciting since I was named an NDP. I was recognized by the Middletown Board of Education at a school assembly. The Mayor of Middletown came to the school and declared a day in my honor.  The Connecticut Association of Schools—an NAESP affiliate—has scheduled a gala dinner in my honor (as well as the secondary principals of the year).