Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/55384
a good principal? So what do CTA members think makes Martha Snider LODI EDUCATION ASSOCIATION social studies teacher My principal at Christa MacAu- liffe Middle School, Randy Ma- landro, is very collaborative and a good leader. He comes from "within" and was a teacher, so he knows things from a teach- er's perspective. He knows how it sounds to teachers when he asks them to do things. When he disseminates information he gets from the district, he presents it to the entire staff in a way that when he says "Jump!" we want to say "How high?" We have site-based leadership, and there's a lot of buy-in from teachers. He says all the time that he's here for the children, and he lives it and breathes it. And this goes from him to the staff and to the kids. When a principal has that kind of relationship with staff and stu- dents, it creates an atmosphere where learning just happens. Maria Smith PRESIDENT OF CTA OF BERRYESSA teacher adviser A good principal is an effective communicator and a community builder. Without the two, he/ she cannot lead and expect the staff to follow. Good principals know that building trust comes first with their staff; making connections increases rapport. Trust established between the principal and teachers allows for openness and dialogue. High morale in a school setting starts with the principal, so he/she must be inspiring. An instruc- tional leader promotes collabora- tion by being a good listener and being willing to consider others' ideas. Everyone appreciates a principal who supports them and acknowledges their effort and hard work. Good principals know that it is not what you say that is important, but how you say it. Teachers want to feel comfortable going to their prin- cipal and feel safe when they take risks. Lauren Miller BUTTEVILLE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION teacher An excellent principal trusts his or her staff. They encourage us to be creative, while holding us to high professional standards. They support us to exercise our judgment and to feel safe ask- ing questions. They listen. They believe in children. They disci- pline with love. They set limits when they need to with adults and kids. They take risks when they need to. They are fearless. They care about the profession of education. They embrace the arts. I know what makes an excellent principal because we have him right here at Butteville Elementary School. Our Mr. Clark is all of this and more. Nick Cheranich NAPA VALLEY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION teacher A good principal would have to find the time and effort (at least one day a month) to plan and teach in the classroom. A few districts have this as pol- icy. Sadly, most principals have been delegated to mere bureau- crats, spending most of their time doing what they are told to do by managers above them, and going about policing teach- ers to see if they are correctly implementing the newest pro- gram. What better way to grasp how a new program is or isn't working than by actually doing it? Certainly, the administrator would gain a better respect from his or her staff and students if he or she were to plan and teach in the classroom on a consistent basis. I have yet to work with this kind of principal. 20 California Educator / February 2012