leadership in high schools

Once a year as a supervisor/principal of this BOCES I have to complete summative evaluations for all staff including teachers, related service professionals. teacher assistants, aides and other support staff.  Suffice it to say that this most important work that speaks to assessments and accountability on the part of schools is like writing an essay that never ends.  I always feel that when I mark someone in need of improvement, I myself have failed as a principal……….the connection a principal feels to programs, teachers and staff is a very personal and profound relationship.  It is sustained by the excitement of new programs, tweeked programs, new emphasis etc.  This will be a very difficult week for me because all this work has to be completed before the June 1 deadline.  My rationale for waiting so long?

• I want to maximise opportunities for staff to shine
• I want to have examples of more than one stellar achievement.
• I want to give folks an opportunity to show growth and improvement. 
• I work best when under pressure and stress.  Words flow more smoothly and my creative juices are more visable in my writing style…..at least I think so:)

Tomorrow, Tuesday 1PM Dr. Kazi, Prof. School of Social Work, Univ of Buffalo will be visiting the Hewes Center to go over details of the the plan to initiatiate oversight of mental health collection of data amongst a set population – students K-12.  We will be joined in this visit by Danielle O’Connor, Director of Instructional Programs, Erie 2 BOCES, the school nurse, a counselor, a representative teacher and myself.  This visit will be followed up by interviews conducted in early June that will be set up by the BOCES for two interns that have shown interest in doing work on behalf of students, their families, schools and Chautauqua county.  The work accomplished by these interns in collaboration with our counselors and teachers will go toward informing our discipline and outreach practices at the Hewes Center as well as contribute to the body of work being produced by the Tapestry project at other schools and local community sites.