"Principal" Columnists
Don’t miss these regular columns: Pete Hall
Award-winning young principal confronts the challenges of the job. Evelyn Cortez-Ford
Tips for coaching teachers to become leaders. The Principal Poet
Mr. Ivan's poems should ring familiar to all educators. George Pawlas
Improve school-community relations with PR strategies that work. Sandra Harris
"BRAVO Principals" Build Relationships with Actions that Value Others. See more columnists.
Principal Files
School leaders share their best ideas with one another.
Pawlas on PR
Dr. George Pawlas offers quick tips, fresh ideas, PR inspiration.
Take Five...
1-2-3-4-5 tips on a wide range of principal topics.
Principal Ideas
More great ideas from principals. Share yours too!
Young Scientists See and Believe
An evening of science projects, demonstrations, and more encourages kids to view themselves as scientists-in-training.
Yearbooks Capture Elementary, Middle School Memories
The yearbook is a classic souvenir of high school days, but today elementary and middle schools are getting into the act. Preserving the priceless moments and toothless smiles of young children is the goal of hardworking advisors, parents, and students.
School "Mates"
Sailors from the USS San Jacinto find more than one way to befriend elementary school.
Summer Reading
Santa interrupts his summer vacation to bring books to Virginia Beach students.
School "Snapshots"
One-page summaries provide key information for new students and their families.
Principals Share Lessons Learned About Communicating With Parents, Others
Seldom does a day go by when most school leaders don’t learn something new about the importance of communication. Here, our team of experienced “Principal Files” principals share their thoughts and tips about best practices in communication.
Ten Ideas for a Successful Take Your Family to School Week
PTA Take Your Family to School Week is just one of the PTA programs revitalizing parent involvement in education. This special week in February is easy to implement too, with these ten ideas and the PTA’s online guide and poster.
Community Scavenger Hunt Teaches Research Skills, Much More
When armies of students descend on local libraries, it has to be time for the State of Jefferson Scavenger Hunt. The three-day event challenges kids to track down answers to a series of questions. The results include improved research skills, priceless memories.
Families Share the Reading Experience, Bolster Reading Skills
Reading specialists at one Illinois school approached their parent group and proposed a new project. A "parent-child book discussion group," which would strengthen family connections through a shared reading experience, was a bestseller!
Study Circles Help Gather Input, Solve Problems
Many schools and communities use study circles to ensure that diverse perspectives are represented as they address issues such as the achievement gap, redistricting, building projects, racism, and bullying. Included: Tips for starting a study circle.
One Book, One School, One Community: A Singular Reading Experience
Driven by the desire to enhance literacy skills and bring together generations, these three schools organized “One Book” community reading activities. Is this something your school might do? Included: Tips for choosing the right literary selection for a community read.
Brushing Up on Parenting Skills
Workshops for parents were a new concept at one Wisconsin elementary school. However, with several workshops under their belts, organizers say "workshops are a wonderful way not only to learn, but to help bring the school community closer together."
Parenting Workshops
When a significant number of parents approached Principal Becky Ford about their children's incorrigible behavior, Ford knew something had to be done. She worked with her district's parent liaison to design parent support workshops for those parents.
Year-Long Literacy
Involving families in literacy-building activities is a year-long endeavor one Maryland middle school. When staff members discovered that their students' reading scores weren't improving as hoped, they took action to motivate the students to read and to get parents involved.
Family Folders
Parents at Riverview Specialty School for Math & Environmental Science are invited to a new parent information night in the spring before their children attend. They are given a valuable tool to help them adjust to the new location and programs -- a family support folder.
Beginning of School Year Cookout
What began as a segue from a traditional school calendar to a year-round schedule at one school has become a signature event of the school year. The "beginning of the school year cookout" brings together staff members, students, and parents.
These Shoes Were Made for Running/Walking
A runner for many years, Principal Kim Pavlovich has created a run/walk program that each week attracts teachers, parents, and more than half the student body to the school track. Included: Tips for starting this simple and inexpensive program in your school.
Teachers, Parents, Kids Bond Over Books
Inviting parents to participate in a book discussion group with teachers has led to better relationships between teachers and parents and a deeper understanding of current education and child-rearing issues. Included: Tips for starting a group at your school.
Even Little Makeovers Make a Big Difference
Many schools would benefit from an “extreme makeover” but can’t afford one, let alone a coat of paint. Some community volunteers are taking on the job of making over rooms and teacher lounges, surprising and delighting school staff.
Lunch and Learning for Parents and Students Lunch and Learn sessions familiarize parents with teaching techniques they can use at home. Parents are often critical of kids reading and spelling skills, said one teacher. “We encourage them to be positive and enjoy the journey along with their children.”
Pete Hall: Why 100 Matters
According to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, all students -- that’s 100 percent of enrolled students -- will test proficient by the 2013-2014 school year. Do you know what 100 percent really means? One goal-oriented school in Washington State does!
Dealing With Angry Parents
Education World’s “Principal Files” team always provides practical tips that help out school leaders in sticky situations. In this article, they tackle the topic of “angry parents.” Included: Tips for calming upset parents and solving problems.
WatchDOGS Unleashed on Schools
WATCH D.O.G.S. is a K–12 program that makes it easy for father figures to spend meaningful time in a school setting. The program is overseen by a “Top Dog” volunteer dad who partners with the school administrator to identify opportunities for WatchDOGS dads.
Online Grades Provide Access and Accountability
In many schools, teachers use online grading systems to keep parents (and kids) informed. Administrators say the improved communication makes students more accountable for their work and eliminates unwelcome "surprises" on report cards.
Weekly Folders Deliver News from School to Home
Need an easy and inexpensive way to reach parents with important news from your school? Many elementary and middle schools package all communication and student work into a "weekly folder" that is sent home on the same day each week.
Saving Kids from Stress
Facing fierce competition to get into top colleges, many students are compromising their health and values to
get ahead. Experts are even seeing stress levels increase at the elementary school level. Some educators are
working to reduce the pressures on students.
"Recovery Rooms" Put Disruptive Students on Road to Recovery
Are disruptive students inhibiting learning in your school? If so, the answer may be creating a place for them
to refocus and regroup -- a "recovery room." With guidance, students can reflect on their mistakes and find
ways to improve.
Put "Punch" Into Your Parent Handbook
Is it time to take a fresh look at your school's parent handbook? How can your school get more out of this essential
resource for parents? Education World takes a look at ten handbooks from across the grades and shares what each
one does especially well.
School-Wide Mail Delivery System Teaches Kids Letter-Writing, Responsibility
In this IM, e-mail age, many children haven't experienced the excitement of getting a hand-written letter. One
popular program, though, allows students to write letters and work in an in-school post office. Included: See
how it works, try it in your school!
Got Three Hours? A School Needs You
Who could say no to giving three hours to their child's school over nine months? That's what the founders of the parent
volunteer program Three for Me reasoned -- and they discovered once parents got a taste of volunteering, they were
eager to keep coming back.
Schools Where Wellness Is a Way of Life
The need for students to eat more healthful foods and get more exercise is getting a lot of attention in schools these
days, but some school leaders are going a step further, developing wellness policies and health alliances with their
communities.
More Tips for Great Newsletters
Surveys say newsletters are the second most important source of information about your school. George Pawlas offers
timely reminders about what to include in the newsletters you produce during the second semester. Included: "Fifteen
Tips for Writing Right."
Schools Offering Service With A Smile
Greetings, smiles, and eye contact may be standard customer-service training in the retail industry, but now it is
moving into schools as well. Some districts are training all staff members, including administrators and bus drivers,
to be more customer-friendly.
Visitation Day: Parents "Walk in the Shoes" of Students
Tight-lipped kids often keep their parents in the dark about school activities. How can schools bring them out of
the cold? Invite them in! "Parent Visitation Days" are easy to organize and a great way to get parents in touch with
their kids' school life.
BRAVO Principals... Communicate Effectively
Author and EdWorld columnist Sandra Harris says that BRAVO principals follow three principles of effective communication.
They are truthful, yet tactful; available; and active listeners. Included: Examples of those three principles in action
during the school day.
Does Your School's Atmosphere Shout "Welcome!"?
Does your school's atmosphere shout "Welcome!" to parents, students, and staff? Our "Principal Files" team shares
how they've created welcoming atmospheres in their schools. Most of their ideas are easy to duplicate. Learn from
their ideas, share your own.
Newsletters:
An Essential Tool for Every Principal
George Pawlas learned early in his years as a principal that regular,
informative communication from his office helped build support for his
school. That's when he discovered the true value of parent newsletters.
Included: Newsletter do's and don'ts.
Parent Planning for Parent
Involvement
Too often administrators view parent involvement programs as neglected
gardens. If by chance they grow and bear fruit, terrific. If they don't,
it can't be helped. But a national institute says that, with some planning,
all schools can grow parent involvement programs.
Schools Recruit, Recognize
Contributions of Volunteers
Is your school crawling with volunteers? Or are you looking for ways to
recruit more volunteers? In this article, our "Principal Files" principals
talk about the benefits of volunteers and offer tips for recruiting them
and recognizing their contributions.
Bring "Order" to the
Cafeteria
Is your school's cafeteria a place where you love to spend time, or is
it a nightmare come to life? How can you make the lunchroom a more "orderly"
place? Administrators share their best tips for improving atmosphere,
behavior, and manners in the lunchroom.
Getting
the Most Out of Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are an important part of any school's communication
plan. And principals are in a position to help ensure that the first conference
of the year sets a tone for future communication. Included: Tips for prepping
parents and teachers ahead of time.
Is Your Parent Newsletter
the Best It Can Be?
Education World's "Principal Files" principals agree that parent newsletters
should be an essential part of every school leader's communication plan.
They offer encouragement, ideas, and advice for those who want to start
a newsletter or improve their current one.
Schools Strive for Waste-Free
Lunches
Schools are discovering the benefits of cutting down on the waste they
produce, particularly in the lunchroom. In addition to monetary benefits,
the schools are producing stewards of the Earth. Included: Simple ways
to reduce waste in the lunchroom.
Community Evaluates Superintendent
Online
Opening oneself up to an evaluation by the community takes some nerve,
but Nashville's superintendent Dr. Pedro Garcia was up for it. The responses
are leading to changes in how he communicates with the community. Included:
The online evaluation form.
Parents Try High-Stakes
Tests
One Mississippi middle school is offering parents the chance to answer
questions from its state tests, to help them understand what their children
face. Included: Description of a test information night for parents.
Enforcing Dress Codes
a Continuous Challenge
Dress codes are hard to create -- and harder to enforce -- but with enough
parent and student involvement at the beginning, and consistent enforcement
once they are in place, educators at three schools report that dress codes
can work.
Outreach Through the
Airwaves: Schools Bring Message Home with Television
Some districts are using cable TV to reach out to their communities. These
"education stations" keep citizens informed and show the lighter, "human"
side of faculty and administration. Included: Successful programming from
two districts.
Easy Ways to Market Your
Schools
School administrators often are so busy or so cautious that they don't
get to know their local media. But developing good public relations, as
well as a solid plan for marketing a school district, are easy to do and
can pay big dividends.
Parent University: Adults
Hone Skills for Stronger Kids and Communities
Some schools are offering workshops and seminars through what is termed
"Parent University" to help parents better understand and deal with kids.
Parents are going "back to school" -- sometimes with their children --
as an investment in them and the community.
Fifteen More Ideas
for Fundraising Fun
Last month we offered "Fifteen Ideas for Fundraising Fun" in your school.
This month we offer 15 more new ideas to raise money to support
school programs. Included: Rock-a-Thon, Turkey Legs Contest, Goat Insurance,
Lip Sync Contest…
Classified Web Page Raises
Money for Schools
A bake and yard sale veteran, Falmouth, Maine, resident Carolyn Gillis
decided to take school fundraising to a higher level. She founded, Classroom
Classifieds, a free Web site that generates money for schools from items
that community members sell.
Fifteen Ideas for Fundraising
Fun
Need to raise money to fund a school trip, buy new uniforms, or for needed
classroom supplies? Education World offers 15 fun ideas for school fundraising.
Included: Idol competition, Penny Challenge, poster sale, Anti-Dance,
more.
Film A Day in the
Life Eases Sixth Graders' Fears
Even after school tours and orientation programs, many students still
worry about the transition from elementary to middle school. A student-made
film acknowledges those fears and reassures new students that middle school
is not so scary.
A Community Pitches In to
Repair its Schools
A lack of maintenance and funding had taken a toll on Baltimore, Maryland's
schools. A call to the community for help this summer, though, yielded
donations and thousands of volunteers who completed hundreds of thousands
of dollars of work -- and are still at it.
Math Night by the Numbers
Is it time for a "Math Night" at your school? Math Night gets students excited about math, familiarizes parents with the math curriculum, and encourages families to continue the fun of math at home!
The ABC List: A Public Relations Tool That's as Simple as A-B-C
Have you been looking for a quick and easy way to promote your school's finest qualities and its best ways for the community to get involved? South Carolina principal Ann Mohr has a great idea for you, and it all begins with the alphabet!
How Can Parents Tell If Teachers Are Doing a Good Job?
How can parents tell if their child's teacher is doing a good job? Sometimes parents' ideas are misinformed. Ed World's "Principal Files" team members offer their perspective. Included: Look at the work students bring home and "the hard sell."
Dealing With Difficult Parents
In Dealing With Difficult Parents, Doug Fiore and Todd Whitaker offer strategies and techniques that make it easier to deal with seemingly difficult parents and with the difficult situations in which they find themselves. Included: Doug Fiore answers our questions.
Mobilize for Education September 22
A coalition of organizations, calling itself the National Mobilization for Great Public Schools, is asking people to meet at house parties September 22 to discuss education concerns and possible solutions.
Rounding Up Pre-K Kids, Parents
Inviting parents and pre-kindergartners to meet teachers and see their schools six months before school opens can noticeably reduce first-day jitters -- for everyone. Called kindergarten round-ups, these events also let teachers meet their incoming charges.
Morning Sing: School's Weekly Tradition Is Music to the Ears
What has "risk takers" performing on stage, teachers reading and singing to the entire school, and students still talking about events from elementary school years later? It's Lake Street School's "Morning Sing," a weekly event that brings together the entire school.
PR Ideas for PRincipals
Is it any coincidence that the word principal begins with the letters PR? Many principals overlook the importance of strong public relations, but these principals recognize the important role PR can play in creating a "buzz" about their schools.
No More Lost Lunch Money
Probably every day in every classroom, a teacher hears, "I lost/forgot/spent my lunch money," sparking phone calls home, IOUs, or snack food searches. Pre-paid lunch programs can end the problems of missing money and save parent and teacher time.
Walking School Bus Paves Way to Healthier Kids
A new program eases traffic congestion around schools while putting more exercise into students' days. Perhaps your school should be the next stop for the "walking school bus," a program in which groups of children are led to and from school by adult volunteers.
Voice of Experience: Most Direct Route to Parents Is an E-Line
Educator Max Fischer has been doing a little independent research on the effectiveness of phone calls, written progress reports, and e-mail in raising student achievement. Which communication method do you think he and his teaching teammates found to be most effective?
How I Handled... Keeping Control in Crowded Hallways and Lunchrooms
Maintaining control as students congregate and socialize in crowded areas can present a problem; solving the problem offers schools an opportunity to involve parents and the larger community, and to improve perceptions of what goes on in those schools.
Home Visits Forge School, Family Links
Getting to better know students and their families can make parents powerful advocates in their children's education. Home visits can give teachers the insight they need to help all students succeed.
How I Handled... Keeping Control in Crowded Hallways and Lunchrooms
Maintaining control as students congregate and socialize in crowded areas can present a problem; solving the problem offers schools an opportunity to involve the larger community -- including parents -- and to improve perceptions of what goes on in those schools.
To Close or Not to Close: A Superintendent's Winter Worry
How deep is the snow? How fast is it falling? Have their been any accidents? What is the wind chill? That is just some of the information that administrators process on cold or snowy winter mornings as they decide whether or not to close schools. It's not always easy.
Math Night by the Numbers
Is it time for a "Math Night" at your school? Math Nights get students excited about math, familiarize parents with the math curriculum, and encourage families to continue the fun of math at home. Included: Advice from organizers of Math Nights.
Family Reading Nights Create Avid Readers
For administrators looking to increase student reading at school and at home and improve parent involvement, family reading nights have proven successful for many schools. Included: Practical suggestions for initiating a family reading night program.
A "Signature" Event: The Autograph Auction as a School Fundraiser
When some students' need for shoes was discussed at a school meeting, Marty Kelsey saw a potential event that would be entertaining, require little investment, and, hopefully, raise ample funds -- the Celebrity Autograph and Shoe Auction!
Teachers Start Report Card Revolution
Some teachers have taken it upon themselves to rework their report cards. Two teachers talk with Education World about the systems they developed and the benefits to students and parents of their improved grade-reporting systems. Tips included.
What Will Your School's Next Report Card Look Like?
Report cards are yet another area of education affected by the standards movement. With more things to teach, assess, and track, teachers need more precise ways of assessing students than A to F.
More Principals E-Mailing Parents
Instead of picking up the phone to call parents, more principals are tapping on their computer keyboards. Increasingly, principals are finding that e-mail is the best way to communicate -- for them and for parents.
Party! A Year of Special School Events
Getting parents involved is no easy task. But Education World's "Principal Files" team offers some great ideas for school-wide events that are sure to draw parents in large numbers. Included: More than 30 events to add to your school calendar!
Student-Led Conferences Successful in Elementary, Middle Grades
As student-led conferences grow in popularity, educators are finding ways to improve their flow and productivity. Preparing students and parents for what's involved and practicing before "going live" can help. Included: Tips from K-8 teachers.
Principal Goes Door to Door With Back-to-School Message
Tired of low student turnouts on the first few days of school, Hartford, Connecticut, principal Dr. Robert E. Morris decided to remind parents about the opening of school. In person. Staff and community members joined Morris walking door-to-door.
A Smooth Transition Can Mean a
Smooth Year
With researchers finding that successful transition programs can mean more successful
students, sending and receiving schools are working harder and more cooperatively
to help students more easily make the passage from one school to the next.
Schools Find Many Ways to Say "Welcome
Back"
Will open house be before school opens or sometime after students arrive? How
about holding an ice cream social? A scavenger hunt for new students? A meet-the-principal
lunch? Included: Our P-Files team shares ideas for welcoming students.
Make Graduation Day a Special Day Across
the Grades
Whether you call it Graduation Day, Move-Up or Step-Up Day, or Recognition or
Promotion Day, the day you set aside to honor your school's "senior" class can
be a special one with these ideas from Education World's "Principal Files" team.
Beyond the Bake Sale: A Guide
to Phenomenal Fund-Raising
Looking to marshal your parent volunteers into an effective fund-raising team?
Jean C. Joachim’s book, Beyond the Bake Sale, offers a manual for principals.
Included: Advice on launching and maintaining effective fund-raising efforts.
Learning and Living the First
Amendment
Does your school’s involvement with the First Amendment consist of one or two
civics lessons a year? Find out how you can use your school as a mini democracy
lab, applying the First Amendment’s five freedoms to school governance and everyday
issues.
Voice of Experience: The Power of Written
Praise
Being roused from a sound sleep by a parent can be a rude awakening. But in one
case it got educator Max Fischer reflecting about the power of written praise
to raise student achievement. Included: Six reasons to put praise for students
in writing!
A Dozen Activities to Promote Parent Involvement!
Many parents say they feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in their children's schools.
Included: A dozen activities to promote parental involvement and ten tips for
involved parents.
Open House: When First Impressions Matter
Good first impressions make a difference, and the first open house of the school
year gives administrators and teachers a chance to gain parents' support. Included:
Ideas to help make your open house a success.
Increase Parent Involvement With First
Day of School Activities
Read about how schools across the nation -- in urban, rural, and suburban areas
-- are breaking down barriers by making the first day of school an exciting holiday
with special activities that include everyone.
Parents Step Into Students' Sneakers
for a Day!
Here's one school's approach to increasing parents' involvement in their students'
education: Send Mom and Dad back to school! Included: Kids and parents share their
thoughts about spending Parents Day together.
Middle School Helps Parents With Resource
Center
A parent resource center in a Connecticut middle school helps parents understand
their middle-school-age youngsters. Included: Tips for starting a parent center
in your school!
Parent- and Community-Involvement Strategies
That Work
From an individual student's notebook to community-outreach programs, here are
five approaches to parental and community involvement that work. Plus: Links to
dozens of online resources!
Organize a "Literature Day" (and Night!)
at Your School
Oranize a Literature Day for students. Then do the whole thing over again at night
-- so families can be included! Plus: Activity ideas and tips for organizing your
own event.
Back-to-School Letters and Survival Kits
Build Communication
Some schools provide "survival kits" to help students weather the first few days
of school. Some even welcome teachers with "survival kits" of their own! Included:
Examples of kits for students and teachers.
Student-Led Conferences Hold Kids Accountable
Student-led conferences can actively engage students in their learning process
and increase parent attendance at conferences. Included: Highlights of research
about student-led conferences.
'The Parent Trap' -- Luring Elusive
Parents to School
How can schools do more to encourage busy parents to get more involved in their
children's school activities? Find out on the Internet! Included: Ten online resources
with information and advice.
Teacher Visits Hit Home
Home visitations by teachers get parents involved in their child's education --
and they let parents and children know how much teachers care. Included: Tips
for starting a program.
Parents Tune In to School Radio
SchoolCast FM helps schools solve the communications-with-parents problem. The
small FM radio station provides everything a school needs to get daily messages
on the air and requires no FCC license.
Be sure to see more great ideas in our special 
Principal Files
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