Comments for Learning to lead an urban school http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com Bloom where you're planted Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:20:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 Comment on Hot topics: Race in American Schools by learningtolead http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/hot-topics-race-in-american-schools/#comment-93 learningtolead Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:24:56 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/?p=27#comment-93 Thanks for your comments, William. I know we are not alone. And someday, We will overcome. Thanks for your comments, William. I know we are not alone. And someday, We will overcome.

]]> Comment on Hot topics: Race in American Schools by william http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/hot-topics-race-in-american-schools/#comment-92 william Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:47:42 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/?p=27#comment-92 New Principal, Well said... Continue to emote, educate, and encourage America towards a better understanding of Urban Children's plight. Maybe, some would say "plight" is a strong word...yet, they should take a quick look at the dense, and littered squalor called Urban American. America's youth must endure attacks on their cultural freedoms just for an education; crime, mismanaged brand image of who urban america is and poverty. And, these are just but a few of the specific societial ills that children must ignore just to walk to school. I live in Los Angeles, the heart of American film and entertainment. LA is also home to the darkest pocket of in America: Skid Row. A little historic enclave of poverty, bad health, racism and crime. Still, these elements are just the easy ones to name. Half of the students at 9th St school(LAUSD) are homeless, hungry, and under-educated. And, yes..those factors add to the huge and swelling numbers of LA gang bangers. How the heck are these kids going to learn, or what are they to learn in homeless shelters, missions, sleeping in cars with drug addled adults, limited books and teachers and community concern? As someone that works in branding, it is important to promote diversity, cultural liberty, and education. Honest, corporate America is lost as to their role, and a effectual method in helping transform the past into a brighter future for all. Simply, that is the forward movement as a unified nation. Where Migrant-American youth learn to share their legacy of struggle and hope with pride. When I was a child, my mom made (forced) us to make our beds every morning before school. At times I would simply make the spread look nice; on those those tense mornings in our home.. Mom would say "pull back the cover look at the sheets." Yes, it maybe time for America to pull back the cover and attend to the foundation: urban youth education. There was a time in America that the term urban was a code - buzz - word for innercity African Americans. Today, the cities are waiting to be proclaimed as the new beacon of America's wonderful diversity. Los Angeles is the nations most multicultural urban community. New Principal, be encouraged... you are not alone. FYI: Oh... I did not check the spelling ... please forgive. But like when I was in school, I do have a good excuse, I wrote on my mobile. Wow.. Times have changed...:) Best to your students. William Los Angeles New Principal,

Well said… Continue to emote, educate, and encourage America towards a better understanding of Urban Children’s plight.

Maybe, some would say “plight” is a strong word…yet, they should take a quick look at the dense, and littered squalor called Urban American.

America’s youth must endure attacks on their cultural freedoms just for an education; crime, mismanaged brand image of who urban america is and poverty. And, these are just but a few of the specific societial ills that children must ignore just to walk to school.

I live in Los Angeles, the heart of American film and entertainment. LA is also home to the darkest pocket of in America: Skid Row. A little historic enclave of poverty, bad health, racism and crime. Still, these elements are just the easy ones to name.

Half of the students at 9th St school(LAUSD) are homeless, hungry, and under-educated. And, yes..those factors add to the huge and swelling numbers of LA gang bangers.

How the heck are these kids going to learn, or what are they to learn in homeless shelters, missions, sleeping in cars with drug addled adults, limited books and teachers and community concern?

As someone that works in branding, it is important to promote diversity, cultural liberty, and education. Honest, corporate America is lost as to their role, and a effectual method in helping transform the past into a brighter future for all. Simply, that is the forward movement as a unified nation. Where Migrant-American youth learn to share their legacy of struggle and hope with pride.

When I was a child, my mom made (forced) us to make our beds every morning before school. At times I would simply make the spread look nice; on those those tense mornings in our home.. Mom would say “pull back the cover look at the sheets.” Yes, it maybe time for America to pull back the cover and attend to the foundation: urban youth education.

There was a time in America that the term urban was a code - buzz - word for innercity African Americans. Today, the cities are waiting to be proclaimed as the new beacon of America’s wonderful diversity. Los Angeles is the nations most multicultural urban community.

New Principal, be encouraged… you are not alone.

FYI: Oh… I did not check the spelling … please forgive.

But like when I was in school, I do have a good excuse, I wrote on my mobile.

Wow.. Times have changed…:)

Best to your students.

William
Los Angeles

]]> Comment on Introduction of regular features by Savannah Red http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/introduction-of-regular-features/#comment-80 Savannah Red Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:58:46 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/?p=26#comment-80 I look forward to your thoughts! I'm still slogging away down in Savannah! I look forward to your thoughts! I’m still slogging away down in Savannah!

]]> Comment on About Me by Pam Kennedy http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/about/#comment-76 Pam Kennedy Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:05:47 +0000 #comment-76 I commend your commitment to urban schools. I taught in an urban elementary school and loved it - followed it with a stint at our Dept. of Education working with urban school principals. Now I am working on my dissertation which is looking at how urban elementary school principals build capacity for change beyond their tenure - it is based on Hargreaves and Fink's book Sustainable Leadership - very inspirational. Best of luck and I'll check in again to see how you are doing! Pam I commend your commitment to urban schools. I taught in an urban elementary school and loved it - followed it with a stint at our Dept. of Education working with urban school principals. Now I am working on my dissertation which is looking at how urban elementary school principals build capacity for change beyond their tenure - it is based on Hargreaves and Fink’s book Sustainable Leadership - very inspirational. Best of luck and I’ll check in again to see how you are doing! Pam

]]> Comment on The Juggling Act by Miss Malarkey http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/the-juggling-act/#comment-70 Miss Malarkey Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:56:52 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/the-juggling-act/#comment-70 I'm a new mom and have a long commute by car. I make a point to arrive at school at least an hour early, which I always accomplish unless there's an accident or similar to slow me down. I also spend the better part of Sunday planning for the week. My other big goal is to really maximize my preps- I find places to work where I won't be distracted into chatting with teachers or otherwise goofing off. Then I stay after for about fifteen minutes to get things ready for the next day. When I get home, all my time is devoted to my daughter. I feel a little bad about not really doing work, but she's already getting so big! When she goes to school and has homework I figure that I will do work when she does hers. I agree with you about balance. When I was single, I definitely felt differently, but it was also easier to fit in non-work things. Now, my daughter comes first and everything else has to work around her. I’m a new mom and have a long commute by car. I make a point to arrive at school at least an hour early, which I always accomplish unless there’s an accident or similar to slow me down. I also spend the better part of Sunday planning for the week.

My other big goal is to really maximize my preps- I find places to work where I won’t be distracted into chatting with teachers or otherwise goofing off. Then I stay after for about fifteen minutes to get things ready for the next day. When I get home, all my time is devoted to my daughter. I feel a little bad about not really doing work, but she’s already getting so big! When she goes to school and has homework I figure that I will do work when she does hers.

I agree with you about balance. When I was single, I definitely felt differently, but it was also easier to fit in non-work things. Now, my daughter comes first and everything else has to work around her.

]]> Comment on The Juggling Act by learningtolead http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/the-juggling-act/#comment-22 learningtolead Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:39:30 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/the-juggling-act/#comment-22 Ms. V, Thank you for your comment. I agree it's extremely important that I am right there working beside my staff. There has to be balance though and I think this is a great suggestion to maintain balance in the school. Ms. V,
Thank you for your comment. I agree it’s extremely important that I am right there working beside my staff. There has to be balance though and I think this is a great suggestion to maintain balance in the school.

]]> Comment on The Juggling Act by ms. v http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/the-juggling-act/#comment-8 ms. v Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:26:58 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/the-juggling-act/#comment-8 Stay late 3 days a week. But not crazy late. Have 1 or 2 days when you schedule time for the things that keep you sane. I work in a school where some teachers stay insanely late, some are on the plan I just described, and only the admins leave early almost every day. Not such a good thing. Show your commitment and honor your teachers' hard work by being there working beside them... but model for them the importance of balance as well. Stay late 3 days a week. But not crazy late. Have 1 or 2 days when you schedule time for the things that keep you sane. I work in a school where some teachers stay insanely late, some are on the plan I just described, and only the admins leave early almost every day. Not such a good thing. Show your commitment and honor your teachers’ hard work by being there working beside them… but model for them the importance of balance as well.

]]> Comment on You have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything! by Savannah Red http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/you-have-to-stand-for-something-or-you%e2%80%99ll-fall-for-anything/#comment-6 Savannah Red Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:59:18 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/you-have-to-stand-for-something-or-you%e2%80%99ll-fall-for-anything/#comment-6 Grad school is the place to make it happen. Flesh out the K-8 school (PreK if you have that). Do multi-aged classrooms--that takes care of a lot of differentiation students need right there. Polish your proposal and then you'll be ready to start your own charter school! Grad school is the place to make it happen. Flesh out the K-8 school (PreK if you have that). Do multi-aged classrooms–that takes care of a lot of differentiation students need right there.

Polish your proposal and then you’ll be ready to start your own charter school!

]]> Comment on From teacher to administrator: A vast divide by Savannah Red http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/16/from-teacher-to-administrator-a-vast-divide/#comment-5 Savannah Red Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:23:20 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/16/from-teacher-to-administrator-a-vast-divide/#comment-5 Good observations. In my experience, its good to keep all of those things in mind, but you, yourself, cannot be a chameleon at all times, changing approaches to each staff person. I think its legitmate for your staff to differentiate to you as well. You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything! Good observations. In my experience, its good to keep all of those things in mind, but you, yourself, cannot be a chameleon at all times, changing approaches to each staff person.

I think its legitmate for your staff to differentiate to you as well.

You have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything!

]]> Comment on Day 1 by Savannah Red http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/day-1/#comment-4 Savannah Red Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:36:29 +0000 http://urbanschoolprincipal.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/day-1/#comment-4 My Day 1 went exceptionally well. Except for the flood in the 2nd floor bathroom which inundated the Nurse's station. I got my brand new bucks wet. Went home happy. Another first day in the books. My Day 1 went exceptionally well. Except for the flood in the 2nd floor bathroom which inundated the Nurse’s station. I got my brand new bucks wet.

Went home happy. Another first day in the books.

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