The most important person in public education

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By Murray Siegel

Which individual is the key to successful public education?

Is it the teacher, or the student, or the parent or the school board president? Based on my 42 years of teaching experience, I can state that the building principal is the key to educational success.

Here are brief descriptions of the successes generated by two excellent principals for whom I have served. These two leaders made a real difference, and what they accomplished can be duplicated by all principals if we are concerned about who occupies the principal’s office.

Kelly Henson was my principal in two high schools. He had only one year of teaching experience, so he left academics to his assistant principals and the department chairs. His focus was on elevating student and teacher morale.

An example of his skill involves student attendance. When teachers raised concerns about student attendance, Kelly devised an attendance incentive program for students. Exemplary attendance was rewarded with final exam exemptions, priority in the parking lottery and free prom tickets. Immediately our school’s average daily attendance was the highest of all 14 high schools in the district. It was said that most teachers would walk through fire for Kelly.

Alec Ashbaugh was my principal at a grade 1-7 elementary school. The district demanded all students work on grade level with no enhancement for students who could learn more. Alec recognized that many of his students were highly capable. He defied the district by hiring elementary-certified teachers who were experts in various subject areas.

In many classes students were learning material generally taught in high school and even college. Students were challenged, and teachers had an opportunity to really teach. Alec protected the faculty from the wrath of the district administration and students benefited. He was a great academic leader but understood that administration was not his forte, so he found an assistant principal who would deal with discipline and logistics.

Both of my sons attended this school, and the education they received in mathematics and the sciences was superior to what might have been obtained in most elite private schools.

We must be concerned with the selection, continuing training, evaluation and rewarding of our school principals. If we focus on these, our schools will maximize both learning and teacher retention.

Murray Siegel is a Maricopa resident. He has a Ph.D. in Math Ed and 42 years of teaching experience. He and his wife Sharon volunteer at Maricopa schools.


This column appeared in the April issue of InMaricopa.