Written by Duane Vance

Administrative release time (ART) and its importance has been a key issue discussed heavily within our circles for the past decade or so. Greg Schmill (2009) identified some alarming statistics about WELS principals that could be leading to burnout and ineffective practices. In response, the Commission on Lutheran Schools created a guideline for appropriate administrative release time. Each school should provide its principal with one hour per week for every 7.5 students enrolled. The synod convention adopted this recommendation in 2013. Dr. John Meyer (2014) has identified five ways that proper release time will help principals improve their schools. They are as follows: Continue reading →

Written by Adam Glodowski

I started thinking about boys in school when my first son was entering kindergarten. He was a very active child who preferred running around outside to sitting and coloring. He would rather play with his Hot Wheels^® than sit still and write on paper. It seemed he would rather do anything than sit still! Sound like any young boys you know?

The following figures (Gurian & Stevens, 2004) do not tell an encouraging story for the boys in American schools: Continue reading →

Written by Dr. Jeff Wiechman

Where are we?
Evaluations are stressful…for the one being evaluated and for the one doing the evaluating! What’s more, we struggle in our circles to do something useful with the data we collect. And yet these don’t have to be a waste of time. Educators and researchers have lots to say on the topic.

The role of the principal as supervisor of instruction can at times be understood in a very narrow sense: an educational leader observing another teacher’s lessons and meeting with the teacher to discuss observations and offer suggestions for improvement. I’d like us to build this definition upon a much broader understanding of supervision of instruction. Continue reading →

Written by Dr. John Meyer

The Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) is attempting a radical shift in the way it approaches the Lutheran school principal position. Termed the 21^st Century Lutheran Principal Initiative, its goal is two-fold: 1) to fully prepare experienced teachers to be principals before their first principal call, and 2) to provide the level of administrative time and compensation needed for success. This initiative is a completely different way of thinking about the Lutheran school principal.

Historically, new Lutheran school principals are called because they demonstrate potential for leadership based upon spiritual maturity, organization ability, and personality. These first-time principals usually have no preparation in principal skills and may even lack teaching experience. Most new principals are full- or nearly full-time classroom instructors and are expected to do administrative duties on the side. They may receive a slight pay bump symbolic of their role as lead teacher. These historical practices imply that the principal position is not very difficult, time consuming, or important. Continue reading →

Written by Eric Ziel

Every journey begins with one small step. This is true for principals who want to strengthen their school’s culture. According to Kruse and Seashore Louis, “Lasting change in school culture takes time” (2009, p. 12). There are no shortcuts on this journey that calls for effective communication and shared leadership. The journey begins with an important first step: listening. Continue reading →