What Great Principals Do Differently

What Great Principals Do Differently by Todd Whitaker (2012)

"Education is extremely complex, and so is school leadership" (p. xi)
- "The principals are the architects. The teachers establish the foundation. The students move into the building and fill it with life and meaning. Every principal has an impact. Great principals make a difference" (p. 141)

1.) Great principals never forget that it is people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school.
- "Our most important work is to improve the people in our schools. Nothing makes as much difference as the quality of our teachers" (p. 10)

2.) Great principals have clarity about who they are, what they do, and how others perceive them.
- "Rather than waiting for others to come to them, they regularly visit classrooms, spend time in the hallways, and seek out informal feedback" (p. 15)
- "...the superstars want the school to thrive, and they want you to succeed. They will give you honest input in a positive way...they are on your side and their insights are likely to be right" (P. 16-17)
- "The most valuable gift a principal can give teachers is confidence...encouraging...praising...can go a long way toward cultivatign this self-worth" (p. 17)

3.) Great principals take responsiblity for their own performance and for all aspects of their school.
- "Good teachers consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control: their own performance" (p. 20)
- "As leaders, we must help all our teachers take responsibility for their classroom performance...Who is the variable?...Success in any profession starts with a focus on self" (p. 25)

4.) Great principals create a positive atmosphere in their schools. They treat every person with respect. In particular, they understand the power of praise.
- "The real challenge is to treat everyone with respect every day" (p. 27)
- "If we praise correctly it is impossible to praise too much" (p. 29)

5.) Great principals consistently filter out the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude.

6.) Great principals deliberatly apply a range of strategies to improve teacher performance.
- "Outstanding principals know that their primary role is to teach the teachers...focus on students - by focusing on teachers" (p. 41)
- "Find the time to get into these troubled teachers' classrooms and help build their skills...the more we can build the skills of our teachers, the less we are drained by reacting to thei results of ineffective practices" (p. 44)
- "Can arrange for the new teachers to visit these best teachers' classrooms" (p. 46)

7.) Great principals take every opportunity to hire and retain the very best teachers.
- "Great principals look for the teachers who will be exceptional in the classroom. More than that, they look for those who will be influential in the school...I sought teachers who could lead their peers. After all, I wanted my school to become more like the best teachers" (p. 50)
- "Talent means the total package: love of students, a bright mind, a positive attitude, a congenial personality, great work ethic, leadership skills, and charisma" (p. 51)

8.) Great principals understand the dynamics of change.
- "It can take anywhere from three to nine years, to bring about substantive change" (p. 57)
- "The best leaders never forget that the business of education is improvement, not perfection" (p. 63)

9.) Great principals keep standardized testing in perspective and focus on the real issue of student learning.
- "Success on standardized tests brought their school greater autonomy to do what they believed was best for students" (p. 69)
- "Every decision should rest on doing what is best for the students" (p. 70)

10.) Great principals know when to focus on behaviour before beliefs.

11.) Great principals are loyal to their students, to their teachers, and to the school. They expect loyality to students and the school to take precedence over loyality to themselves.
- "When we hesitate to discipline a child or take up an issue with a teacher, it's easy to use the rationale, 'I don't want to hurt their feelings.' However, by using that excuse, it is really our own feelings that we are trying to protect" (p. 79)
- "I have always believed that no matter how much two people disagree, if both of them consistently make their decisions based on what is best for the stduetns, then they are both right" (p. 79)

12.) Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great princpials ask themselves one central question: What will my best teachers think of this?
- "The best principals base every decision on their best teachers" (p. 81)
- "The most effective principals understand that their school will go as far as their best teachers take it" (p. 82)
- "...routinely consulted informal teacher leaders for input before they ever made a decision" (p. 82)
- "Your best teachers are confident enough to take the risk of trying something new, and - even more important - they are talented and intuitive enough to make it work. As respected role models for other staff members in the school, your superstars lead the way"

13.) Great principals continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make. They treat everyone as if they were good.
- "Make every decision based on the best teachers" (p. 89)
- "Hostile parents love to argue...never argue with difficult people - they have a lot of practice at it!" (p. 92)

14.) Great principals understand high achievers, are sensitive to their best teachers' needs, and make the most of this valuable resource.
- "Truly outstanding faculty members need two things to make them content and motivated: autonomy and recognition" (p. 99)
- "Let them know how much they mean to you and to the students. Write them notes, send them e-mails, drop notes on their desks. In short, consistently reinforce their efforts" (p. 100)
- "Teachers who say they are burned out were probably never on fire in the first place" (p. 102)
- "High achievers are among the first to leave when they do not feel valued and important" (p. 103)

15.) Great principals make it cool to care. They understand that behaviours and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change.

16.) Great principals work hard to keep their relationships in good repair - to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage.
- "I am sorry that happened" (p. 116)
- "If I am driving down the highway and I get pulled over by a patrolman, when that patrolman is walking toward my car I have one goal...and I have two choices in my behaviour. I can be nice or I can be rude. Which is more likely to get me out of the ticket?" (p. 118-119)

17.) Great principals take steps to improve or remove negative and ineffective staff members.
- "Great principals know full well that their primary obligation is to the students in the school, not the adults" (p. 128)

18.) Great principals establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistenly as the year progresses.
- "We never win an argument with a student. As soon as it starts, we have lost...there needs to be at least one adult and I would prefer that it be the teacher" (p. 136)