In my eighteen years in education I’ve served in three school districts and on five different campuses. The communities that are served by these campuses is pretty diverse. There are some observations that I have made during my time that bother me to my core. Some of these issues are perpetuating the disparities that already exist in educational settings.

As an educator, the physical location of your school makes a difference. If you are in a more affluent suburb, you have a vastly different experience than if you were in a setting where the housing and surrounding community is not the best. You may say that these things have nothing to do with the students that you serve or other staff in the building. I encourage you to pay close attention.

There have been studies that show student performance can vary up to 30% based on socioeconomic status. This same information is also backed by school districts and the money spent on recruiting high quality candidates. Often teachers in high performing districts have more experience than teachers that are in lower performing districts.

Let’s start with Tier 1 instruction. No matter the background of a student, we know that quality Tier 1 instruction is needed to help students grow. Too often in underperforming environments, students are not introduced properly to grade level content. We hear the argument that the students are not ready or they don’t have the background knowledge to be successful with grade level content.

My thoughts on this is that if a stirs not introduced to grade level content, then how do we ever expect them to learn? This is not an issue in most districts. Why is there an assumption that some students can’t learn?

Parent communication is another sore spot. Why are teachers afraid to communicate with the parents of students who are underperforming? Every parent has a right to know what’s going on with their student at school. If a student is struggling, teachers should want to partner with parents for the benefit of the student.

The school district that a student is enrolled in should not make or break their educational experience. We as educators have to do our best to make sure students receive the very best education. There are some factors that are out of our control, but that does not excuse anyone from giving their best effort to educate our children.

Of course there are exceptions to every situation. Not every teacher in high achieving schools is a solid teacher and not every teacher in an underperforming school needs help with their skill set. What absolutely needs to happen is for educators to see their students for who they are and help them to become the people they can be.

Have you ever noticed that when you see something that you like you begin to see that exact item in several different places? If you were looking at a pair of shoes, suddenly you begin to see several people wearing the pair of shoes that you like? Or it could be that new car that caught your eye. Now you see that particular car everywhere.

The same principle is true in our daily lives. If you have an issue in your life, whatever it is tends to be at the forefront of your mind. Yes, it probably is a big issue, but our continuous thoughts about the issue make it bigger than it needs to be. In the same token, when something good happens, your mind will focus on more good things occurring in your life.

What we focus on grows. This concept is especially true in our schools. How do we determine what to focus on and how can we measure the impact of our efforts?

Every school year, principals have to decide what areas of focus will be important for their campus. This is determined by several different factors. The biggest factor is usually student achievement.

Student achievement should be at the core of our work everyday. How are we helping students? What strategies are teachers using to support learning? Do students know what’s expected of them?

School administrators are also part of the student achievement aspect. How are administrators supporting student learning? Is class time protected? Do teachers have the resources they need? Are teachers provided professional learning opportunities to improve their craft?

Your school culture tells everyone what is important. Do your teachers feel valued on your campus? Do students feel that they have a voice? What is the general feel when you are walking the hallways of your campus? What are the interactions like between staff and students?

Every campus is different and has its own culture. We often tend to focus on the things that are not going well instead of celebrating what is going well. I am by no means saying that we have to be toxically positive. I guarantee that if we look at things through a different lens we could create a better educational experience for students and as a byproduct teachers would have a better outlook on their work.

As humans we all have those days when we just don’t want to do anything. You know those mornings when you oversleep, you can’t find the outfit you want to wear, and you run into traffic on the way to work. We all have these moments, and that’s okay. The important thing for educators to remember is that in spite of things not going your way sometimes, your presence is so important to your students.

I know it’s hard but as educators, when we step foot on campus we have to remember why we are there. We have to push our personal issues to the side and focus on the task at hand, educating our students. It’s not easy but it’s necessary.

Everyday that a student is in a classroom is a day for educators to help propel them to who they can become. Each element in your classroom works together to form the educational experience of your students. It all begins with teacher preparation.

Lesson planning is essential for your success. You must have a clear direction on where you’re going, experiences for your students, and a desired outcome. Even if things don’t go according to schedule, you will still have a way to track where you are and what still needs to be done.

Are your classroom procedures and expectations clear to your students? Do students know what is expected of them when they enter your classroom? If they were absent, do they know where to look or what to do to find needed information? Do students know what is expected of them behaviorally?

The way you greet students as they come into your classroom helps set the tone for learning. Are you genuinely excited to see your students? Are you able to gauge when something is off with one of your students?

How are your relationships with your students? Ideally you are able to engage in conversations with students about their life away from school. What are they interested in? What struggles do they have at home? Having a good relationship with your students helps you to be able to deliver instruction and also helps with your classroom management.

This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a few things to ponder. We as educators make can make a positive or negative impact on the lives of our students. I would hope that teachers would want to make a positive impact. If not, that’s a completely different conversation.

In my work now as an administrator, I have a completely different outlook on the inner workings of a school. I do the best that I can to bring a positive attitude and outlook everyday. I am intentional with every interaction with students, staff, and parents. I strive to be a resource for teachers.

If there is a resource that teachers need, I try to find it. If there is a tweak that a teacher can make to be more effective, I share my thoughts with them. Everyday, every conversation, every interaction, is an opportunity to improve someone’s educational experience. I do not take any of it for granted.

We as human beings have a natural tendency to doubt ourselves sometimes. This is especially true when it comes to new situations. When you are not confident in what you are doing or afraid to make a mistake, you cannot be as effective as you should be.

Current administrators, if you have been selected to be in a leadership position someone believed in your ability to do the job. It’s up to you to make the most of your opportunity. Here are a few things that I’ve learned that could be beneficial.

Ask questions; it’s impossible to know and remember everything. If you don’t know something or you cannot find the answer on your own ask for help. It takes time to learn new systems and protocols.

Find a mentor; this will help speed up your learning curve. Whether it’s your Principal or a fellow Assistant Principal, find someone that you can learn from that will actually help you and not judge you. You could also find a mentor through social media. If there is someone that you admire, do not be afraid to start a dialogue.

Get to know your school community. Building relationships is of the utmost importance for an administrator. Casual conversations with staff, students, and parents will help you immensely. This is also how you build trust.

Learn as much as you can about school operations. Familiarize yourself with the master schedule. Another thing that some people don’t pay much attention to is the school budget. Learning about the budget and how it works will be beneficial in your administrative career.

Honor your word; if you say you’re going to do something please follow through. This simple act helps to build staff members trust and confidence in you. Keeping your word is also beneficial in your relationship with students and parents.

You have to trust your instincts. The things that made you a successful teacher will also help you as an administrator. Be curious, keep learning, be confident, and know when to ask for help.

There are a few misconceptions that some people have about being a campus administrator. Some think that they will have it easier because they won’t be in a classroom anymore. Some think that it’s glamorous because of their title. Still others think that they’ll be able to tell other people what to do and they will listen.

I’m here to tell you that there is so much more to being an Assistant Principal. Most of the things you have to do you won’t fully understand until you begin to do the job. Your resolve will be continuously stretched.

As an Assistant Principal, you are the workhorse in the building. There are things that will be asked of you several times throughout the day. Teachers will request things, other staff members will require your help, students will need assistance, and parents will have questions to be answered.

You have to be mentally sharp. Daily, you will make hundreds of decisions. There are also meetings that you will be required to attend. Keeping an accurate calendar is of the utmost importance.

Being visible is extremely important. Your presence helps set the tone for the academic day. Greeting students and staff as they arrive, quick hallway conversations, being in the cafeteria for duty, and of course dismissal to see students off safely.

Among other duties, you need to also have an instructional presence. Frequent visits to classrooms helps you to know what is happening. This gives you insight into how students are learning and allows you to give feedback to teachers to help their instruction. You will also need to attend grade level team meetings and PLC’s.

As an Assistant Principal you are important part of what has to happen everyday for students and staff to be successful. You have to remember that your role is to assist your campus Principal. You are there to carry out his or her vision for the campus.

I could go on and on about being an Assistant Principal. The work can be hard but it is also very rewarding. You will seldom be thanked for all that you do and when you are accept it and do not deflect.

I love what I do! My days are sometimes long, but it’s worth it. I take very seriously the impact that my presence, body language, and words have on my school community. I aim to help everyone have the best experience possible on our campus.

A few years ago during an MTSS meeting after school at my former campus, the Assistant Principal made a comment that has stuck with me. She made a comment about minorities having expensive vehicles but living in apartments and mobile homes. I had heard statements like this before, but the older I get the more statements like this bother me.

I was especially bothered by the fact that a room full of educators would agree with such a statement. This type of thinking belittled the parents of students that we served. It was also a reminder that some educators think that the way they have lived is how everyone else has.

In this instance, there was an assumption that home ownership is accessible for everyone. The fact is that while some members of our society are able to get the money to buy a home from their parents or other family members, most minorities are not so fortunate. When you factor in other systemic issue of society, things get really difficult.

This situation was a reminder that all of us carry with us certain biases based on how we were raised and our environment. As we serve students we need to check our biases at the door. Our students come to us from various backgrounds, economic situations, and belief systems. It is our job to see them for who they are and to help them become successful and contributing members of society.

As educators we have to always be cognizant of the way that we treat students. Taking time to talk with students gives us insight into their lives. This knowledge helps us when we are delivering content in our classrooms. Our relationships with students can make or break their futures.

I was beyond excited to begin my first official year as an Assistant Principal. I had several steps to go through for the Human Resources department to complete my hiring. It took some patience, but I was finally able to start the second day of the school year.

It was definitely baptism by fire. I had to hit the ground running without a lot of knowledge on what I was supposed to do. My Principal and partner AP were very supportive. I was very determined to be successful.

It seemed like there was a nonstop flow of things that I needed to learn. I took a lot of notes and made some mistakes along the way. The easy part of my job was building relationships with students, staff, and parents.

Everyday I felt more confident than the day before. I did not get to be as supportive as I think I should have been for teachers instructionally. I was still trying to learn the district and the campus. I feel that I did an okay job, but there was definitely room for growth.

My partner AP was hired in another district. I was a little sad to see him leave, but I was happy for his new opportunity. I spent the summer preparing to have a better school year. I knew what I was getting into and would have a chance to have a complete school year.

My new partner AP was brand new to being an administrator. I have always been a person that wants to share what I know with others and this would be no different. I wanted to make sure that she would be set up for success. We were able to start out the school year strong.

The school year has been a success thus far. Of course there are areas I still want to improve in, but I feel that I am a better administrator this year than I was last year. I’m more confident in my decisions and more comfortable on campus.

I’ve always felt that i have been exactly where I needed to be at certain times in my life. I feel that my current situation is where I am supposed to be. I’m happy that my work makes a difference. The job is not easy, but it is very rewarding. With the support of my current Principal and my drive to succeed, I’m looking forward to the future.

I went into the Summer feeling pretty good. There were some things I wanted to improve on and that was my focus. I spent most of the summer doing my own professional development. I also casually looked at job postings and applied for a couple of Assistant Principal pools in different districts.

I returned to work in mid July. Upon my return, I met the person that was hired for the vacant Assistant Principal position. She had worked in the district for years and the school year prior, she held the same position as me at a high school. Her husband was also an administrator in the district.

Admittedly, I felt some level of contempt for the new Assistant Principal. Why was she chosen for the position and I wasn’t? She had done nothing to me personally and was quite pleasant when we met. I did my best to answer her questions and to help her acclimate to the campus.

I met with the new campus Principal. I informed her that because this was the last year of my position, I would be actively seeking Assistant Principal positions. She was understanding and told me that she would help me in any way that she could.

A week later, I was on the way home after work when I received a phone call. I was asked if I was interested in interviewing for an Assistant Principal position. I excitedly accepted the offer to interview. I was surprised because I applied for the Assistant Principal pool and not for an Assistant Principal position. I had two days to prepare for a screening interview.

The following day I returned to campus and informed my Principal about the interview. The next day I had my screening interview with the Principal and Assistant Principal of the campus via Zoom. The interview went well although I still was unsure of what was to come. The next day I received a call and was offered a chance to participate in a panel interview.

I gladly accepted and began my process to prepare for the interview. Two days later, sitting in the front office of the campus, I had so many thoughts running through my mind. The interview was scheduled for 3:30, so I knew that I had better make a good impression. When it was time to interview, the Assistant Principal walked me back to a large room filled with people.

There were at least fourteen people including the Principal and the Assistant Principal. I had participated in interviews with large panels before, so I wasn’t too nervous. I answered the questions as best I could and tried to show some of my personality. I felt that the interview went well. I know what kept me from being overly nervous was the fact that I still had a job.

I received a call the next week from the Human Resources department of the district. The person on the other end of the phone congratulated me for being the finalist for the Assistant Principal position. I think I was partially in shock. Her voice on the phone was so soft I didn’t know if she said finalist or a finalist. She informed me that the next step was a meeting with the district’s Deputy Superintendent.

I had never heard of a candidate meeting with the Deputy Superintendent of a district as part of the hiring process. This was quite nerve racking since I still wasn’t sure if I was chosen for the position. The meeting went well. It lasted maybe fifteen minutes. After returning to campus, I received the call that I had waited five years for. I was selected to be an Assistant Principal.

I was in my former school standing in the stairwell so I could not yell. I calmly accepted the offer. I excitedly walked outside and called my wife to give her the great news. I could not wait to get started.

We received notice that the current Principal would be retiring. This news was met with tears from the other Assistant Principals and Counselors, but had no affect on me. I had not known her long enough to be sad about her leaving.

Everyday that I was on campus, the Principals words would replay in my head. I was on a mission to show her how wrong she was. I continued to do what I was doing before. I also kept a watchful eye on other members of the administrative team and measured my words.

As the year continued one of the other Assistant Principals informed us that she had found another position. Her husband had landed a head football coaching job, so her family was moving. I was happy for her and her family, but she was definitely going to be missed. She was the one person that had always been consistent with me and helped me tremendously.

Upon the news of my counterpart leaving teachers began asking me if I would apply for her position. I had definitely gained the support of some teachers. I was unsure if I would get an interview even if I did apply.

A new Principal was named for the campus. Upon meeting her, I felt that she would do good things for the campus. I applied for the open Assistant Principal position. I completed the digital interview even though I did not prepare beforehand for it. I felt that there was no way I would get a chance to interview.

Two weeks later I received a phone call on the way home for the weekend. I was offered a chance to interview much to my surprise. I spent the weekend preparing for the interview.

My interview was conducted via Zoom. Our Area Superintendent, the new Principal, a Human Resources director, and a Principal from an intermediate school all participated in the interview. I felt that the interview went great.

I received a call from the Area Superintendent two days later. I did not get the position. He went on to give me some advice on things to work on. I took this as a victory, even though I did not get the job.

The next day my retiring Principal told me about how impressed our Area Superintendent was with my interview. I guess I wasn’t such a terrible employee after all in her eyes. I still had another year to improve on what had been a successful school year.

As the school year progressed I became more comfortable with my surroundings. I took on more assignments, spent more time in classrooms, and settled into doing some of the other leadership things that were uncomfortable. Things were going well.

Late November was wild. One of our team members became sick. Shortly after sickness ran through the rest of the persons family. This was during one of the notorious Covid flares. All of this meant more responsibility for me.

I did not mind doing more, besides this was something that none of us ever saw coming. We made it through this time period into Christmas break and the start of a new calendar year. During this time I was introduced to MAP testing on our campus. I learned how to assign testing and also monitor progress. I also had a chance to help with checking accommodations for STAAR(the state testing for Texas) testing.

I participated in a monthly meeting with our Area Superintendent that was supposed to prepare Assistant Principals for the Principalship. The meetings were okay. I did not care much for the topics of discussion and often did not have much to say. The topics were geared for those that had several years of administrative experience. I listened and took in all of the information that I could.

The Spring semester was also busy for me because my daughter competed on a travel volleyball team. I did not miss any tournaments except for one that was scheduled too closely to state testing. I remember before the first round of testing, I was asked to help with checking classrooms to make sure they were ready for testing. Myself and one of the other Assistant Principals checked rooms the week before testing.

My daughter’s team had an out of town tournament five days before testing. I was scheduled to return back to town two days before testing started. There was a mix up in flight arrangements and I did not get back until one day to testing. While I was away, I received a request to help with scheduling recess time for our fifth grade team. I thought the request was strange, but I still completed the task.

In the days following completion of state testing, I had my middle of year conference with the current Principal. I felt that I had been doing pretty well so far. I had no reason to suspect otherwise. I did not picture the conversation going the way that it did.

The Principal informed me that I should have scheduled an earlier flight and left my wife and daughter behind so that I could help with test prep. This statement highly upset me. No way I would leave my wife and daughter behind in an unfamiliar city. Besides, I did not earn a six figure salary that would afford me the ability to pay the high price of a plane ticket purchased at the last minute. The statement was completely tone deaf.

Along with the ridiculous statement that was made, I was accused of missing some district trainings that were held after school hours. This statement was untrue. On two occasions I joined the meetings via Zoom while making my commute home. I was also told that I lacked initiative and that I was not completing walk throughs. All of this really upset me because it was simply untrue. She also said that I struck her as a 8-4 guy. Her statements stung because I was always one of the first to arrive on campus and left around the same time as the other AP’s. I did my best to always be in the hallways and to help out when I saw a need. I also completed several walkthroughs that were evident by a Google form that was shared with the administrative team.

It took everything in me not to curse and yell during the meeting. I took the information from her perspective and set about finding my path forward for the rest of the school year. I knew that from that day forward she was someone I could not rely on. I also knew that, from what she shared with me, there were two Assistant Principals that I had to watch out for. It’s always upsetting when people around you would rather harm you than help you.