Skip to content

Month: July 2014

Entry Plan Introduction and Values

THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ENTRY PLAN
“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools.”
-Jim Collins, Good to Great

I believe Kipling Elementary is a school that is primed for greatness. A supportive community, dedicated staff, and committed students are all parts of the recipe for greatness. Today I am providing you with a first part of my entry plan as principal. This entry plan will provide administration, staff, parents, and community members insight into my core values and thought processes as a school leader. In addition, it will outline my goals to put Kipling Elementary School on the path to sustainable greatness.

The process of developing this plan has been a challenging and rewarding experience for me. The goals and objectives are based on my core values as a teacher, administrator, and life-long learner. My vision is for us to make Kipling Elementary School not only the best school in Illinois, but also one of the best schools in the nation. I envision a school where educators from around the country come to learn from us the secret to greatness.

MY PERSONAL EDUCATIONAL VISION
Regardless of our role in the Kipling community, we must treat every child as if they were our own. We must treat each other as we would want to be treated. We must offer support and guidance to each other so that we can achieve the goals of our school and community. Our success is dependent on cooperation and bringing the expertise and talents of our teachers, staff, parents, and community together to serve our students and realize our goal of being the best elementary school in the state and nation.

MY PERSONAL EDUCATIONAL VALUES
1. EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY:
We must be committed to giving our absolute best to our students every single day. Our students deserve no less from us. Every day requires our commitment to being the absolute best we can be in our roles. This requires a commitment to hard work, honesty, and integrity in everything that we do.

2. STUDENT CENTERED ACTIONS AND DECISIONS
It is vitally important to never forget why we are here. Schools exist for one purpose – To educate students. The decisions we make and the actions we take will be based solely on what is best for our students and their learning. One of my favorite quotes is from Mahatma Gandhi who said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” The Kipling Elementary School community will find itself by our commitment to serving our students.

3. LIFE-LONG LEARNING:
We must be committed to continuous improvement and recognizing that we can always improve and get better. For ourselves—as well as our students—there will always be more to learn, a new mountain to climb, and new challenges to face. We must resist the temptation to get comfortable in being good. Instead, we should embrace challenges and new knowledge in our continued effort of seeking and maintaining greatness.

ENTRY PLAN – GOALS
1. Perform a needs assessment to establish our strengths and areas for growth
2. Build upon a culture of learning, leadership, and high expectations
3. Establish a system for clear communication

Over the next several weeks I will expand on each one of these goals in more detail.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Today I had the privilege of listening to former Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, speak here at the National Association of Elementary School Principals national conference in Nashville TN. Justice O’Connor has devoted her time since retirement from the Supreme Court to enhancing civic education in our nations schools through her website www.icivics.org. This website allows students to play interactive games and simulations that teach students about government and citizenship in a fun and engaging way. I encourage all of you to check it out. It is indeed a great resource for teachers and families.
photo
Listening to Justice O’Connor today reminded me of two things. First, I am reminded of how much we all owe to women like Justice O’Connor and others that have worked to ensure equal opportunities for all of our children. Secondly, I am reminded of the responsibility we have to carry on that powerful legacy.

Justice O’Connor, now 84 years old, was born in 1930 on a cattle ranch in Arizona. There was not a school close to her home so she left at a young age to attend school in El Paso. She eventually went to law school at Stanford University, and even though she graduated 3rd in her class, she was unable to get a job as a lawyer due to the fact that she was a woman. After much perseverance she was eventually offered a position in the San Mateo prosecutors office but on the condition that she work for free. Several years later, in 1981, she was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

If I can sum up her main messages to our students I would say they were “don’t give up” and “every individual can make a difference.” It is these beliefs of her and other women like her that have made the future better not only for our daughters but all of our children. However, we do not only have to look at famous figures such as Sandra Day O’Connor to find this inspiration.

It is likely that you have these examples from within your own family. As I listened to her today I thought about my grandmother. She would have been 80 years old this year but passed away in 2010 after a short battle with cancer. Although not famous, she was a quiet leader in every sense of the word. She was kind to everyone, listened to understand, and always acted from a place of conscious and character.

One of my favorite stories about my grandmother is from her college years. She attended the same college that I did, Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green KY. I remember when I first started school there she came with my parents to drop me off. As we were walking around the campus she told me about a history professor she had in the early 50’s that informed the class on the first day that no girl would get above a “C”. She said that he then proceeded to explain why he thought it was impossible for any woman to work at a level higher than that. Stunned, I asked her what she got in the class. I remember her looking at me and saying “I worked hard, learned a lot and got a C.” It wasn’t what she said, but how she said it that struck me. The “C” was the least important part of the sentence, she said it as though it was an afterthought. This story always reminds me of her strength of character. She did not let the views of her professor impede her commitment to learning. I like to think that she worked so hard and did so well that she maybe gave him a moment of pause when he gave out final grades. The truth is though, it doesn’t matter. My grandmother would not be disheartened or dissuaded from her commitment to learning. And more importantly she persevered and chose to define herself by her own rules, not the arbitrary grade of one biased professor.

It is exactly this type of grit and perseverance that we need to instill in our students, boys and girls alike. People like justice O’Connor, my grandmother, and role models from your own families did not persevere only for us or our children to have it easier. Instead, they pass on the obligation and responsibility to us to make the world a better place than it is now. Just as they did during their time. In the end that is what citizenship and civic education is all about. Improving your school, community, and your world to make it a better place for future generations. Let us continue to build on their legacy.

Summer at Kipling

My favorite season of the year is finally here. CONSTRUCTION. Deerfield road isn’t the only thing under repair right now. There is a crew hard at work here at Kipling installing air conditioning, new cabinets, and ceilings. A lot of people are hard at work making sure we have the finest educational facilities around when school starts back in August. Have a look at the pictures below and see if you can recognize anything.

IMG_8716

IMG_8717

IMG_8718

IMG_8719

IMG_8726

IMG_8724

IMG_8723

IMG_8722

IMG_8721

Skip to toolbar