Standard Five: Managerial Leadership
School executives will ensure that the school has processes and systems in place for budgeting, staffing, problem solving, communicating expectations and scheduling that result in organizing the work routines in the building. The school executive must be responsible for the monitoring of the school budget and the inclusion of all teachers in the budget decisions so as to meet the 21st century needs of every classroom. Effectively and efficiently managing the complexity of every day life is critical for staff to be able to focus its energy on improvement.
5A. School Resources and Budget
The school executive establishes budget processes and systems which are focused on, and result in, improved student achievement.
School Budget Presentation
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During my School Budgeting course, which was taught by Dr. Eddie Price (Deputy Superintendent of Johnston County Schools), we had the opportunity to examine a budget for Benson Middle School. For the course's culminating project, I had to assess data, determine needs, and create an expenditure plan with the goal of improved student achievement. This was all compiled in a presentation which also broke down the specific funding sources that would be used to implement my recommendations.
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Title I Budgeting
On the first day of my residency, I was able to sit down with my mentor principal and our bookkeeper to develop our school's Title I budget. During our meeting, we discussed the process for itemizing requisitions as well as which specific budget codes should be used for certain items and staff salaries. This was my first opportunity to work on an actual school budget. |
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School Bookkeeper Interview
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In an effort to gain a better understanding of the process for creating a school's budget, particularly within my residency school's district, I interviewed our school bookkeeper. During our conversation, we discussed the ways that principals and bookkeepers work in tandem to ensure that a school's budget is effective and in compliance with local and federal guidelines/laws. We also discussed the timeline for creating a budget as well as the process for submitting amendments.
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5B. Conflict Management and Resolution
The school executive effectively and efficiently manages the complexity of human interactions so that the focus of the school can be on improved student achievement.
Staff Mediation Meeting
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One of our teachers expressed concerns with her TA's performance. My mentor principal and I then facilitated a meeting between the teacher and her TA in which we discussed the recognizable positive contributions the TA brings to the classroom. To address the concerns the teacher brought to our attention, we created a daily schedule with clearly define roles, duties, and expectations for both the teacher and the TA. This allowed us to have a common understanding of what each individual was responsible for.
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Parent-Teacher Meeting
One of my teachers asked me to sit in on a conference she would be having with a parent. First, I met with the teacher to go over the student’s grades and discuss whatever concerns she felt the parent might want to address. I worked with the teacher to compile some resources and a concrete plan that we would be able to share with the parent regarding how she could help her daughter improve her grade. When we met for the actual parent-teacher conference, the parent became very defensive toward the teacher and the meeting took an unproductive turn. I dismissed the teacher from the meeting early so that the focus could remain on the improved achievement of the student. I was able to share actionable next steps with the parent and student as well as hear remaining concerns that I was able to follow up with the teacher. In the end, both the teacher and the parent were appreciative of how I handled the situation.
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Student Misconduct
As a part of the Pattillo administrative team, I was responsible for resolving student misconduct and conflict concerns. In one instance, a teacher expressed concerns of a student showing inappropriate videos which upset another student. I was able to pull the student from class and speak with him regarding the matter as well as issue a consequence. I then followed up with the teacher to make her aware of my course of action as well as the outcome.
5C. Systematic Communication
The school executive designs and utilizes various forms and formal and informal communication so that the focus of the school can be on improved student achievement.
Communication
As a member of administrative team, I utilized various modes of communication to share information with stakeholders. This included: staff meetings, PLC meetings, professional development sessions, shared google documents, face-to-face conversations, etc. My goal as an administrator is to ensure that stakeholders are always aware of necessary information so that the focus can be on maximizing potential and achieving school goals. Below are examples of different communication I have made.
Staff receive Weekly Updates of reminder and important information. The screenshot below shows a resource I shared with some staff that my mentor principal then included in the weekly digital bulletin.
The letter below was written to introduce myself Pattillo stakeholders.
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The agenda below is from a PD staff meeting I planned.
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Staff Contact Diagram
One of my first tasks at the beginning of my residency was to create a way to collect the contact information for all the staff in our school. I created the below staff diagram that was organized by department. Since we believe that it is not just important for the administrative team to have this information, this diagram was shared with all staff so that everyone could have access to each others contact information. (Phone numbers intentionally redacted for confidentiality purposes.)
5D. School Expectations for Students and Staff
The school executive develops and enforces expectations, structures, rules, and procedures for students and staff.
Morning Duty Reminder
Teachers are assigned morning duty on a quarterly basis. Having adequate adult supervision is an important part of ensuring that we offer a safe learning environment for our students. Each member of the admin team was also present during morning duty to monitor compliance and provide additional supervision. When there was a noticeable pattern of late arrival by some staff to morning duty, I sent friendly reminders of expectations for start time.
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Student Discipline
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As part of the administrative team at Pattillo, I resolved student discipline and behavior concerns in alignment with school and district policies. Each incident involved a thorough investigation into the matter at hand, a conference with the student, and communication with the parent/guardian. Notes were taken and logged of each disciplinary action for administrative records. [see example of student discipline log to the left]
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