The Assistant Principal 50

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Baruti K. Kafele. The Assistant Principal 50

The Assistant Principal 50

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Assistant Principalship: What Is It?

Q1. How do I define the assistant principalship?

Q2. Is my assistant principalship all that I conceptualized it would be?

Q3. Do I understand that the core of the assistant principalship is to assist the principal, not lead the school?

Q4. Am I a career assistant principal or am I an aspiring principal?

Q5. Do I regularly engage in my own professional learning toward being an effective assistant principal?

Q6. How often do I get to collaborate, "compare notes," and exchange ideas with other assistant principals?

Q7. Why do I lead?

"I'm an Instructional Leader, Too!"

Q8. Is instructional leadership an inherent part of my day?

Q9. How do the teachers I supervise perceive me as an instructional leader?

Q10. How important are pre- and post-observation conferences to my assistant principalship?

Q11. Is there a correlation between my supervision of teachers and their continual improvement in instruction?

Q12. Am I a professional development resource for staff?

The Principal–Assistant Principal Relationship

Q13. How often do I seek out my principal for advice, guidance, and direction toward becoming a better leader?

Q14. How intentional am I about developing and maintaining a healthy, collegial relationship with my principal?

Q15. Is my relationship with my principal conducive to my effectiveness as an assistant principal?

Q16. What is my relationship with the other administrative leaders on our leadership team?

Q17. Do staff perceive that our leadership team is operating as a cohesive unit?

"I'm More Than a Disciplinarian"

Q18. Do I understand that discipline is not the totality of the assistant principalship?

Q19. How does my leadership contribute to a positive school climate and culture?

Communication With Staff

Being Approachable to Staff

Follow Up and Follow Through With Staff

Being Fair and Consistent With All Staff

Procedures

Your Presence

Q20. Do I participate in developing staff meeting agendas?

Q21. Do I engage staff during staff meetings?

Q22. Do I attend PTO/PTA meetings?

Q23. Do I attend school board meetings?

Q24. How do I maximize parental engagement?

Q25. How do I maximize community engagement?

Q26. Do I maintain a presence that speaks to how I want to be perceived by my students and staff?

There's Much to Know as an Assistant Principal

Q27. Am I conversant in my school district's policies?

Q28. Am I conversant in my state's statutes and codes?

Q29. Am I conversant in special education law?

Q30. Am I conversant in our teachers' union contract?

Q31. Am I conversant in our support staff union contract?

Q32. Am I conversant in our district's curriculum and state content standards?

Q33. Am I conversant in our school's budget?

Q34. Am I an active participant in school-level planning?

Q35. Is all that I do and all that I know preparing me for the principalship?

Engagement Comes Before Achievement!

Q36. Do I attend extracurricular activities and events?

Q37. Do I engage with students beyond my disciplinary and supervisory roles?

Q38. What do my mornings look like during student arrival and my afternoons look like immediately following the dismissal bell?

Q39. What programs, clubs, or activities have I instituted at my school?

Procedures Equal Progress

Q41. Following my assessment of my school, what student and staff procedures have I recommended to the principal?

Q42. If cafeteria duty is my responsibility, what procedures have I put in place to ensure smooth transitions to and from the cafeteria?

Q43. If bus duty is my responsibility, what procedures have I put in place to ensure structured and orderly transitions to and from the pick-up location?

Q44. If discipline is my responsibility, what procedures have I put in place that lend themselves to a healthy school climate and culture?

Q45. What role do I play toward ensuring that emergency management procedures are developed and carried out with fidelity?

Planning, Organization, and Time Management Matter, Too

Q46. To what extent are my days thoroughly planned out?

Q47. Do my organizational skills allow me to manage and maximize my time?

Q48. What roles do self-reflection and self-assessment play in my overall leadership?

Q49. How well do I know my facility?

Q50. Does my "why" align with my principal's "why" for me?

Conclusion

Addendum. Leading During a Global Pandemic

Bibliography

About the Author

Other Books by Baruti K. Kafele

Related ASCD Resources

Print Products

Digital Products

ASCD myTeachSource®

Whole Child

Whole Child Tenets

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Critical Questions for Meaningful Leadership and Professional Growth

Baruti K. Kafele

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All principal–assistant principal relationships are different. In an ideal principal–assistant principal relationship, as an AP, you are given the latitude and flexibility to grow and all of your ideas and suggestions for change and improvement are welcomed. However, not all principal–assistant principal relationships are ideal. Some can be quite complex, difficult, or even toxic. (We will dig much deeper into the principal–assistant principal dynamic in Chapter 3.) For now, the point of this question is to remind you to always keep at the forefront of your mind that, despite the challenges you may face in a less-than-favorable relationship with your principal, you are not the leader of the school. Your job is to assist the principal. You are the Assistant Principal.

This is an important question for any AP because it has direct implications for one's outlook on the current role. One who is content with being a career AP (or at least not desirous of the principalship) will more than likely approach the assistant principalship very differently from one who views the assistant principalship as a steppingstone to the principalship.

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