You're the Principal! Now What?: Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders

A principal's job is astonishingly complex, and its competing demands can be overwhelming, especially in the first few years. In this book, Jen Schwanke, a principal herself, provides a mentor's guidance to steer new principals through the period of adjustment and set the foundation for a long and rewarding career. The topics you wish your graduate program had covered are covered here--directly, practically, and without the jargon.

Drawing on her own experience, Schwanke provides strategies for tackling the most common yet most daunting challenges of the principalship, including

- Establishing productive professional relationships - Building and maintaining a positive school culture - Resolving conflict among staff and parents - Providing effective instructional leadership - Supporting students' social-emotional needs - Conducting staff evaluations and delivering feedback - Keeping up with district, state, and federal mandates - Managing the facility and the budget - Providing focused and effective professional development - Prioritizing responsibilities - Learning from student and schoolwide data - Planning for growth and change - Working through behavior and discipline issues - Hiring high-quality teachers and supporting new ones - Leading effective meetings - Maintaining balance The standalone chapters provide easy access to the solutions you need for the situations you face. Along with real-life scenarios and critical tips for success, you'll find helpful models of what to do, what to say, and how to say it. This book is a source for ideas any time you encounter a problem and think, Now what? It's the beginning of an ongoing conversation about the wonderful and rewarding work of being a principal.