Stories from the Field
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Always Have a Backup Plan!
This time of the year always reminds me of my first assignment as principal of a large old elementary school. I was able to work with the staff over the summer to determine that we wanted to make a big push for parent involvement. To that end we decided that we would invite parents to come to school with their children the first day and line up with them on the playground, be greeted by the teacher and proceed to the classroom with the class line. After arriving in the classroom and feeling comfortable that their children were settled in, the parents would “be excused” to go to the library to have cookies and coffee and meet the new principal.
Our big day came. All of the class lists were posted over bright newly painted room numbers on the playground. And then the unexpected happened. It poured buckets of rain just as parents and students were coming to school. Instead of following our well-planned directions, parents and kids were running into the building through every doorway asking where to go, where was their room, and jamming the office and hallway. I finally came to my senses and over the intercom asked everyone to report to the gym, where we carried out our plan differently as teachers met their classes and parents took their children to the classrooms.
I’ve never forgotten this experience. It taught me always to have a backup plan for even the best-laid plans of a principal.
