Improving Your School One Week at a Time: Building the Foundation for Professional Teaching and Learning

Learn how you can work more effectively with your staff to improve your school. In this unique book, Jeffrey Zoul and Spiri Diamantis Howard reveal how a powerful tool, “Friday Focus” emails or newsletters, can help school principals communicate more proactively and consistently with their teachers while improving instruction and morale.

The chapters cover 37 “Friday Focus” memos, which are organized around the school year and which cover topics such as student behavior, teacher observations, parent-teacher conferences, and more. This updated second edition offers suggestions for additional areas including artificial intelligence and equity, hope, microlearning, universal design for learning, engaging the families of ELLs, online relationship building, and gamification.

Whether you’re a new or veteran school leader, these inspiring messages will help you work alongside your staff as change agents for school improvement.

Jeffrey Zoul is a lifelong teacher, learner, and leader. During Jeff’s distinguished career in education he has served in a variety of roles, most recently as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning with Deerfield Public Schools District 109 in Deerfield, Illinois. Jeff has been recognized as a local teacher of the year and as an outstanding principal in the State of Georgia. He also served as principal at a national School of Excellence in Illinois.

Spiri Diamantis Howard has been a dedicated educator for over 25 years. Currently, she serves as a Reading Interventionist at Commonwealth Charter Academy, one of Pennsylvania's largest public cyber charter schools. Spiri's commitment to fostering a love for reading and learning in her students is at the heart of her work. Her dedication to education and her community continues to inspire those around her.