Sharing

I wrote something last night and this morning that I thought turned out pretty good. I nominated the principal at my school for an award. He didn't win, but I thought I'd share. Thanks for reading.

When I was in high school, I was told the way one remembers how to differentiate between the words principle and principal is to think of the school principal as being your pal. I thought that was an odd way of learning that concept; however, I guess it worked. What makes a good principal? He or she must be a good leader, quite diplomatic, and able to hear many sides of an issue. He or she must be compassionate with an intense desire to serve others. He or she must be patient – having confidence in others to grow at their own pace. Do those qualities make a person a pal?

Mr. Lewis was at the high school when I began working there as the campus manager for Communities in Schools in the fall of 2000. At that time, he was the 9th grade assistant principal. Anyone who has worked with adolescents in high school knows that 9th grade is a transitory period in life. Many students get “stuck” in the 9th grade. Mr. Lewis guided, encouraged, and disciplined those students knowing that they could be successful. I remember going into his office one time to talk about a particular student who seemed to be doing nothing in classes. He told me, “Sometimes you just have to let the student say what they need to say, give them a little encouragement, and send them on their way.” I was and am a counselor in training, and with that simple statement, he taught me a great deal about how to counsel adolescents.

Mr. Lewis has since that time earned the position of head principal at the high school. This is his second year to be in this role at our school. In the past two years, I have seen an increased number of programs that help the “at-risk” population. One example of these programs is the Nova Net program for students needing to recover lost credits. With this program, students who have failed a class or lost credit for truancy can remain on our traditional campus and make-up the class via an internet, self-paced course. This offers a good alternative for many of our students. In addition to credit recovery, Mr. Lewis has placed a great deal of energy into TAKS preparation. At the high school stage, TAKS becomes extremely important due to it becoming a graduation requirement at the exit level. Mr. Lewis has created a position at our school for a single testing coordinator to make sure all testing, including TAKS, is conducted properly. He also has guided his department heads into having all day review sessions in which students who have failed parts of the TAKS are given intense reviews before the test date. His attention to these matters directly affects many students in the CIS program.

As principal of an ethnically diverse school population of nearly 2000, Mr. Lewis must wear many hats and be final authority on many decisions. I have come to him many times to ask about a program or project that I want to implement. I have always been met with approval and trust. Mr. Lewis supports Communities in Schools by trusting me and allowing me to do my job without fearing that I will do something wrong. He allows me to implement programs and help students in any way that I can. His support of CIS is shown through his belief in what the program can do and his willingness to allow me to run the program the best way I can.

Mr. Lewis is committed to helping all persons in our school. I have seen him personally attend to students in crisis. I have seen him grieve with staff members. I have seen him give from his own wallet for a student needing clothing. I have had phone calls and visits from him when a family needed help and Communities in Schools was where they needed to go to get resources. He affects students, families, and our community everyday by doing his job. And yet if you asked him, he would humbly say it was nothing.

Differentiate the word principle from principal by thinking of the school principal as a pal. A pal is a friend who believes in what you can do. He has faith in your abilities and strengths. He sees what you can’t see in yourself. Yes, I was definitely taught the right way to remember that.