The Power of Positive Principaling Building a Culture of Success and a Climate of Collaboration Allan R. Bonilla, Ed.D

What do we mean when we talk about culture and climate? Is there evidence of happy students and teachers? Is it obvious that learning is happening? Is the building attractive and well maintained?

Culture and Climate is the Foundation There can be no real success without creating a positive school environment. Test scores will not increase, attendance will not improve, and discipline problems will not decrease.

Liberty City High School Gets $1 Million Investment ( Miami Herald, 7/7/11) Purpose: expand rigorous courses, build a new lab, improve graduation rates, and create a college-going culture. Increase the number of dual enrollment courses at the college level. Introduce service learning projects. Institute a financial literacy program. Build an aquaponics lab to raise fish for fertilizer in gardening.

WHAT GOOGLE LEARNED… Bosses have a much greater impact on people’s performance and how they feel about a job than anything else. What employees valued most were even-keeled bosses who made time for one-on-one meetings, who helped people puzzle through problems by asking questions, not dictating answers, and who took an interest in employees’ lives and careers. ( Marshall Memo May 2, 2011 from NYTimes)

RELATIONSHIPS Administration & Faculty Teacher & Teacher Teacher & Student Student & Student School & Parent

CYPHER IN THE SNOW Storyline Asking to leave a school bus, Cliff, a young teenager, collapses and dies in the snow near the roadside. His math teacher is asked to notify the parents and then write a short obituary. This task is difficult, for although he was Cliff's favorite teacher and had the most interaction of any at the school, he barely knew him. In unraveling the mystery of the untimely death, he finds that Cliff was shy, lonely, and ostracized, being slowly reduced to nothing, a zero (cipher). He vows to not let this happen to others. Written by Brian Greenhalgh Brian Greenhalgh

GOETHE THINGS WHICH MATTER MOST MUST NEVER BE AT THE MERCY OF THINGS THAT MATTER LEAST.

What my school was like…. High failure/retention rate High teacher turn-over Poor discipline Neglected building Terrible reputation in community

The Turn-Around Visibility Delegation Celebration Collaboration

LET’S THINK…. HOW VISIBLE ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOUR CELEBRATIONS? TO WHOM DO YOU DELEGATE? WHAT IS IN PLACE FOR COLLABORATION?

VISIBILITY AM & PM Between classes Cafeteria Events

DELEGATION Discipline Attendance Parents Curriculum Special Education Master Schedule Technology Maintanance

CELEBRATION TV Announcements Honor Roll Attendance Competition Report Card Pick-Up Birthdays Life Events

WE DID IT !!!

COLLABORATION School Based Management/Shared Decision Making Committees: Personnel, Budget, Curriculum, Social Departments Teams

BEN FRANKLIN TELL ME AND I FORGET TEACH ME AND I REMEMBER INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN

Set The Tone/Walk The Talk It all starts here… and leads to here..

Allan R. Bonilla,Ed.D Don’ts of Successful School Site Management Six Things You Can Do Tomorrow To Create An Exemplary School Five Habits of Successful Turn-Around Principals Everybody Needs A Coach