running of the school. Of course, your key instructional leaders are your
assistant principals. How to prepare for their replacements—and your
own—is discussed in Remembering What’s Important: Priorities of
School Leadership.
Setting the tone for the school year early is another way school leaders lay
the groundwork. A teacher sets the tone for the entire year by what he or
she does the first day and the first week of instruction. School leaders set
the tone for the entire year by the groundwork they lay in September. In
different sections of this book, the September jobs of a school leader are
described in a variety of contexts. Here is a summary of the tasks under-
taken to set the tone for the school year.
- Earlier in this chapter is a description of planning for the first SLT meet-
ing, setting the tone and agenda for the remainder of the year. - Likewise, there is a description of how the composition of other school
committees could be determined. - At the opening day staff meeting, give credit to as many staff members as
possible for their fine work the previous year, noting any relevant statis-
tics. Review new district initiatives and add school-specific initiatives for
the new school year (e.g., The First Ten Minutes or Summing It Up or Call
a Parent a Day). Stress the importance of the first day and the first week
and advise that all staff teach a great lesson on the first day of classes. - Work with the program office to ensure that program changes are mini-
mal. Mr. Chen paid per-session overtime to programmers to work over
the summer to revise programs based on summer school results. Then,
he made sure that changes that needed to be made were completed
within the first five days of classes. All academic departments made use
of “uniform plans” for these five days. - Meet with your security team to target incoming students who cut class,
come late, or engage in any untoward activity. Have even the most
minor infraction lead to a call home and possible parent conference.
Send a message to new students who are testing the school that rules
are strictly enforced. - Spend the first hour of each day outside the school, greeting students,
parents, and teachers—and teaching students to respect the property of
your neighbors.
118 Chapter 8