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.