Beginning the Principalship: A Practical Guide for New School Leaders

"This book delivers on its promise. Both practical and visionary, the book is a perfect fit for principals who have to be both managers and leaders."
-Robert D. Ramsey, Author, Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

"Great schools reflect great principals and this book will help new leaders on their way."
-Vincent Ferrandino, Executive Director, National Association of Elementary School Principals

"Beginning the Principalship stays grounded in the day-to-day realities of the school leader′s professional life, but retains focus on the priority of the teaching and learning process."
-Gerald N. Tirozzi, Executive Director, National Association of Secondary School Principals

The best way to learn the ropes is to have an expert at your side. Beginning the Principalship, Third Edition is exactly that kind of essential encouragement and help you need! Filled with updated and new information designed to help you survive your first years as principal, this new edition of John C. Daresh′s bestseller provides the resources you need to become a strong and effective leader.

Find out how you can:

• Manage others′ expectations of you as principal 
• Master the technical skills necessary to run a school 
• Create and clarify your personal professional growth plan 
• Work effectively with the community
• Incorporate staff in school goals and initiatives
• Work more effectively with parents

In compelling scenarios from new principals, Daresh focuses on the practical skills for developing a network, the process of finding mentors, and the importance of professional organizations. With the tools this guide offers, you will build the skills you need to thrive as a principal, growing more comfortable-and more confident-in your role as school leader!

John C. Daresh is professor of educational leadership at the University of Texas at El Paso. Over the years, he has held faculty or administrative appointments at the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, the University of Northern Colorado, and Illinois State University. He has also worked as a consultant on high school reform and administrator professional development for universities, state departments of education, national and state professional associations, and individual schools and districts across the United States, and also in Barbados, Canada, France, Holland, Israel, Turkey, South Africa, and Taiwan. By far, the bulk of Daresh’s international service has been in the United Kingdom where he served an advisor and trainer for the School Management Task Force that developed and promoted support programs for beginning headteachers, the National College for School Leadership, the Welsh Office of Education, the North West Network for Diploma Development in Cheshire, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Lincoln, the University of Hull, CREATE Consultancies, and literally dozens of Local Education Authorities and individual schools across England and Wales.

Daresh recently completed three years of service as the lead consultant on principal mentoring programs for the Chicago Public Schools as that megadistrict was faced with the challenge of bringing in mostly inexperienced principals to serve in nearly of the school system’s elementary and high schools.