Essentials for New Principals: Seven Steps to Becoming Successful - Key Expectations and Skills presents seven new principal steps revealing how first-year principals can develop into a successful school leaders. Moreover, essential leadership skills and key expectations are advanced to aid new principals. Each of the seven steps are identified, clarified, exemplified, and amplified in what serves as a most informative, instructive, and compelling text.
Dr. Richard Sorenson is professor emeritus at The University of Texas at El Paso where he served as department chairperson and director of the Principal Preparation Program. During his career he has taught school-based budgeting, school personnel, educational law, and numerous other administrative leadership courses.
Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1The New Principal: The Administrative Role - Then and Now The New Principal of Yesteryear The New Principal - Yesterday and Today: Has Anything Changed but the Date on the Calendar? New Principal Expectations, Skill Sets, and Attributes: A Tale of Then and Now The Attributes: A Brief Introduction Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: How Are Our New School Leaders Doing, Liz? Application Questions Chapter 2Step #1 - Advance Critical New Principal Skills: Develop a Plan for Success Developing a Plan of Action for Success Critical Leader Skills Identified: What's a New Principal to Do? Practical Perspectives for New Principals: Skills Acquisition How to Gain the Required New Principal Leadership Skills Keys to Personal Growth and Development Delving into the Research Literature Examining the Research Literature Requires a Systematic and Logical Approach Presenting at Conferences: A Method of Advancing Self and Promoting Faculty Writing for Publication: Express Expertise and Inform Others Overcoming Isolation Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: We Need to Set a Few Things Straight! Application Questions Chapter 3Step #2 - The Leadership Absolutes Vital to Confidently Experiencing Todays Principalship, Part 1: How to Identify, Acknowledge, and Incorporate the Seven Absolutes Essential to New Principal Success Recognize and Know the Absolutes The New Principalship: Seven Leadership Absolutes Absolute #1: The New Principal Serving as Lead Learner Absolute #2: The New Principal Directing as Instructional Leader Special Education and the Inclusive School Program Supervision and Evaluation It's a Wild New World Out There and Adaptation is Essential Absolute #3: The New Principal Surrounding Self with a "Forward-Thinking," "Can-Do," and "Ready-To-Get-It-Done" Leadership Team Absolute #4: The New Principal Supervising School Personnel Leading Personnel is Hard Work Stress Makes for Hard Work and By-the-Way, Who Needs It? Interacting with the Best Interacting with Those in Need of Assistance Supervision of Marginal Teachers Engaging with Teacher Resisters Managing Personnel and Adverse Circumstances Absolute #5: The New Principal Managing School Operations Absolute #6: The New Principal Ensuring a Safe and Secure Learning Community Absolute #7: The New Principal Enduring Emergent Forces A Point to Ponder Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: Is the Challenge an Opportunity or is the Opportunity a Challenge? Application Questions Chapter 4Step #2 - The Leadership Absolutes Vital to Confidently Experiencing Todays Principalship, Part 2: Absolute #7 - How to Successfully Endure, Transcend, and Survive the Seven Emergent Forces Challenging the New Principal Role The Emergent Forces: What Are They? Who Are They? Why Are They? Seven Emerging Forces 1. Pandemic After-Effects 2. Teacher Shortages, Quiet Quitting, and the Great Resignation 3. Activist Parents 4. Incivility, the Lack of Public Decorum, and Survival Tactics New Principal Survival Guide for Success 5. Technology Redefined: The Age of Digital Leading, Teaching and Learning - Innovative Today, Obsolete Tomorrow! 6. Social Media Effects 7. Controversial Issues Racism and White Superiority in Schools What's a New Principal to Do? Now is the Time! Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: Standing Firm and Facing the Force of the Emerging Winds Chapter 5Step #3 - Learn the Ropes: New Principal Expectations, Position Responsibilities, and Skill Sets to Positively Influence New Principal Leadership New Principal Expectations: An In-Depth Description and Examination Position Responsibilities for the New Principal The Difference: Expectations vs. Responsibilities What Set of Skills Positively Influence New Principal Leadership? Seven Key Skills to Positively Influence New Principal Leadership The Makings of an Outstanding New Principal Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: I'm Overwhelmed - The Expectations are Crushing, and the Responsibilities are Inundating! Application Questions Chapter 6Step #4 - Acknowledge and Understand School Norms, Traditions, and Customs: What New Principals Must Know to Survive What are Norms, Traditions, and Customs from a New Principal Perspective? Each Term Defined, Described, and Exemplified What a New Principal Must Know and Understand Which Norms, Traditions, or Customs are Institutionally Perpetual? Should They Be Changed? How a Can New Principal Make Changes? How School Norms, Traditions, and Customs Can Dictate a School's Climate and Culture How to Change and Improve Culture and Climate How a New Principal Can Survive the Changing of Norms, Traditions, and Customs Changing Norms, Traditions, and Customs by Changing Climate and Culture: Seven Survival Tactics Career Longevity: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow! Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: That Nest of Hornets is the Reason the Stinging is so Incessant! Application Questions Chapter 7Step #5 - Recognize and Value Essential Characteristics of the Learning Community: Factors New Principals Must Know and Understand What is a Learning Community? Who Makes Up the Membership of a Learning Community? Roles and Responsibilities Position Responsibilities for the New Principal: A Learning Community Member Position Importance is Relative: It All Depends on Who You Ask! What are Essential Characteristics of a Learning Community? How Do Certain Crucial and Fundamental Factors Impact a New Principal's Relationship with a Learning Community? Developing a Rapport and Establishing a Relationship within a Learning Community Five Key Tenets Central to a New Principal Establishing an Effective Learning Community and Building a Great Personal and Professional First Impression How New Principals Fail but Succeed Remember This and Not That! Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: He Doesn't Have Enough Sense to Come in Out of the Rain! Or, How Not to Build a Relationship with the Learning Community Application Questions Chapter 8Step #6 - Appreciate and Incorporate Policies, Regulations, and Procedures: New Principal Legal Responsibilities Why All the Legalese? New Principal Legal Responsibilities School Board Policies What are School Board Policies? School Board Policies and New Principal Responsibilities Administrative Regulations Campus Procedures Final Thoughts Discussion Questions Case Study Application: Yes, I Heard What He Said. But He Said He Followed School Board Policy! Application Questions Chapter 9Step #7 - Enhance Personal Attributes Critical to a New Principal's Success: The Leadership Protocol Directions Scoring Scoring Interpretations Final Thoughts Epilogue: Be Aware, Be Prepared, Never Despair, and Let Your Light Shine References Index About the Author
