Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen hosted a conversation on leadership with aspiring principals at 菠萝视频鈥檚 Peabody College of education and human development June 15.
The audience was a select group of educators: The 24 assistant principals who comprise the first cohort of the recently launched Governor鈥檚 Academy for School Leadership (GASL), a partnership between The Governor鈥檚 Office, Peabody College, the state of Tennessee and local school districts to build a pipeline of highly trained school principals.
鈥淚 cannot think of a more important job than being a leader of a school, and that鈥檚 why this partnership is so important,鈥� Haslam told the participants. 鈥淵ou can walk in a school and tell right away if there is a great principal who is leading effectively. Great principals attract and keep great teachers. Leadership makes all the difference.鈥�
During the one-year fellowship, the cohort meets one weekend each month with Peabody faculty in addition to attending an intensive summer institute. Participants also receive individual coaching sessions and are paired with an experienced principal mentor at another school.
鈥淭his was truly the governor鈥檚 initiative, so it was exciting to see his vision come to fruition and have him meet with the inaugural class,鈥� said Ellen Goldring, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Education Policy and Leadership and chair of the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations. 鈥淭he program has afforded us the opportunity to design and implement what we know works for leadership development, and the program models the values and practices we want to develop in school leaders.鈥�
After their fellowship is complete, each participant will pursue a principal position in a public school.
鈥淭he caliber of teaching has been exceptional, and we鈥檝e been presented with a variety of ideas that we can immediately apply in our individual schools,鈥� said GASL participant Michael Ruiz, assistant principal, Germantown Municipal School District. 鈥淭hat practicality is really what sets this experience apart from so many others.鈥�
鈥淭he entire experience has been great,鈥� added Renette Scott-Coleman, assistant principal, Jackson-Madison County Schools. 鈥淲e are able to build connections with a strong, passionate group of school administrators, and learn not only from each other and our mentors, but from incredible faculty who are so approachable and so willing to share their expertise.鈥�
View of GASL participants and mentors.
An of this article appeared on 菠萝视频 News@菠萝视频.