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School Focus to Be on Leadership

School Focus to Be on Leadership Reston (VA)—America can look forward this year to the golden spike being hammered into the educational improvement movement, according to the chief executive officer of the nation's largest school administration group. "For five years our nation has worked toward making its schools better," reports Scott Thomson, executive director, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). "This year the final step will be implemented—focusing upon leadership at the school site." Since A Nation at Risk was issued in 1982, America's schools have taken progressive steps toward school improve- ment, according to Thomson. "This has been a process of evolution," he indicated. "During the first year we had a period of rhetoric—when everyone had answers to the challenges facing schools. Then the governors and state legislatures entered the picture passing greater requirements for students, compensations for teachers, and mandates for educators." The next step in this evolution was to focus not in rhetoric or mandates, but people. "People began asking how do you really make education better?" said Thomson. "The answer was people and the focus last year was upon teachers. Now we are seeing that having good teachers isn't enough. We must also have effective leaders- principals who are schooled in and practice modern manage- ment techniques." Thomson predicts that the golden spike will be inserted into school improvement this year as emphasis is placed upon the school principalship. "In the coming year we will see a unique intersection in the evolution of school improvement. People are recognizing the importance of quality education to our way of life. They are also seeing that principals are the key to turning around schools. Providing the resources to trai n top school prin- cipals comes at a time when we will soon need more high quality principals. Within five years, we'll need to replace one-third of the principals in many states due to retirements. But with a renewed understanding of the importance of school principals and a public commitment to make our schools as strong as they possibly can be, we'll meet that challenge." • ACADEMIC THERAPY/23:3 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Academic Therapy SAGE

School Focus to Be on Leadership

Academic Therapy , Volume 23 (3): 1 – Jan 1, 1988
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
Copyright © by SAGE Publications
ISSN
0001-396X
DOI
10.1177/105345128802300313
Publisher site
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Abstract

Reston (VA)—America can look forward this year to the golden spike being hammered into the educational improvement movement, according to the chief executive officer of the nation's largest school administration group. "For five years our nation has worked toward making its schools better," reports Scott Thomson, executive director, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). "This year the final step will be implemented—focusing upon leadership at the school site." Since A Nation at Risk was issued in 1982, America's schools have taken progressive steps toward school improve- ment, according to Thomson. "This has been a process of evolution," he indicated. "During the first year we had a period of rhetoric—when everyone had answers to the challenges facing schools. Then the governors and state legislatures entered the picture passing greater requirements for students, compensations for teachers, and mandates for educators." The next step in this evolution was to focus not in rhetoric or mandates, but people. "People began asking how do you really make education better?" said Thomson. "The answer was people and the focus last year was upon teachers. Now we are seeing that having good teachers isn't enough. We must also have effective leaders- principals who are schooled in and practice modern manage- ment techniques." Thomson predicts that the golden spike will be inserted into school improvement this year as emphasis is placed upon the school principalship. "In the coming year we will see a unique intersection in the evolution of school improvement. People are recognizing the importance of quality education to our way of life. They are also seeing that principals are the key to turning around schools. Providing the resources to trai n top school prin- cipals comes at a time when we will soon need more high quality principals. Within five years, we'll need to replace one-third of the principals in many states due to retirements. But with a renewed understanding of the importance of school principals and a public commitment to make our schools as strong as they possibly can be, we'll meet that challenge." • ACADEMIC THERAPY/23:3

Journal

Academic Therapy – SAGE

Published: Jan 1, 1988

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