As part of National Assistant Principal Week Celebration (April 13-April 17, 2015) NASSP (@nassp) hosted a live Google Hangout with the Wallace Foundation (
School leaders from Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) discussed how assistant principals are being developed and acquiring skills to become effective school leaders.
Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD) is one of six districts supported by the Wallace Foundation to participate in the Principal Pipeline Initiative, which investigates the challenge of developing and supporting new principals. Hear how assistant principals are being developed and acquiring skills to become effective school leaders as they discuss their experiences with strategies and practices that strengthen school leadership.
Participants:
Jerenze Campbell, Supervisor, School Leadership Programs, Prince George's County Public Schools
Damaries Blondonville, Wallace Grant, Project Manager, Prince George's County Public Schools
Katrina Lamont, Assistant Principal, Ernest E. Just Middle School, MD
Dr. William Blake, Assistant Principal, Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School, MD
Douglas Anthony, Executive Director, Office of Talent Development, Prince George's County Public Schools
Facilitator:
Andy Cole, Consultant, Wallace Foundation
School leaders from Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) discussed how assistant principals are being developed and acquiring skills to become effective school leaders.
Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD) is one of six districts supported by the Wallace Foundation to participate in the Principal Pipeline Initiative, which investigates the challenge of developing and supporting new principals. Hear how assistant principals are being developed and acquiring skills to become effective school leaders as they discuss their experiences with strategies and practices that strengthen school leadership.
Participants:
Jerenze Campbell, Supervisor, School Leadership Programs, Prince George's County Public Schools
Damaries Blondonville, Wallace Grant, Project Manager, Prince George's County Public Schools
Katrina Lamont, Assistant Principal, Ernest E. Just Middle School, MD
Dr. William Blake, Assistant Principal, Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School, MD
Douglas Anthony, Executive Director, Office of Talent Development, Prince George's County Public Schools
Facilitator:
Andy Cole, Consultant, Wallace Foundation
I now have a better understanding of the county perspective and focus on developing the "principal pipeline". Collaborating with a variety of stakeholders, the county has developed a "strategic" plan to improve the quality of assistant principals and principals and their effectiveness as their roles in education have evolved. The pipeline stages start with teacher leaders and continue to progress through several stages of leadership readiness. These stages incorporate mostly formal training opportunities.
ReplyDeleteThe principal pipeline has four major components: 1.) Defining leadership, 2.) High quality pre-service training, 3.) Selective hiring, and 4.) On the job training and evaluation. The eight leadership standards that were developed align with performance criteria and expectations, ISLLC standards, and tools used to measure effectiveness in the county. These standards are the glue that connects the four major components in ensuring an effective principal pipeline. I did not know that in order to be a preferred provider, universities must leverage the county leadership standards. This crucial step is essential in ensuring that not only do the aspiring leaders receive training to be successful but that the training is specific to district needs.
The milestones in the principal pipeline for skill development are differentiated based on years of service, not individual needs. How can we assess individual needs and place aspiring administrators in a level that will best meet their needs, regardless of years of service? I think this applies to those who have been as assistant principal for years and those who are in their first year. The way it is currently set up would be like saying a teacher who has been teaching for 30 years is more effective than a teacher who has been teaching for 2 years, strictly based on the number of years they have been teaching. We all know this is not always true.
A message that was touched on but not thoroughly developed was the importance of informal learning and collaboration with the current school principal. This is where the majority of training will occur, especially since only so many opportunities are available for formal training programs within the county. I think we need to spend more emphasis on those informal learning opportunities. A major component in the informal development is the relationship between the assistant principal and principal. What type of training is provided to current principals that will help them become effective as school mentors and assist them in providing learning opportunities for their assistant principals? Where does that align with the principal pipeline focus? Without the support of the assistant principals' principal and those opportunities then the assistant principal's current school placement becomes a variable in their preparedness for a principalship.
This video leaves me with a few questions: What percent of newly hired principals were hired from within the county? How has this changed since the beginning of the Wallace grant and focus? From which stage in the principal pipeline were the new hired principals?
This video was very imformative about the Wallace Grant and the principal pipeline. It answered a lot of the questions that I have had regarding the purposes for individual programs. I appreciated the information that the administrators shared regarding their different pathways to preparation for the assistant principal position, and then their current preparation to become principals.
ReplyDeleteI also participated in the program the county called pre-leadership when Barbara Landefeld (sp?) ran the program. It was a great resource for interviewing skills, networking, and generally preparing you for applying and receiving an Assistant Principalship.
The current way the APIP program has us going to different schools to shadow is an exciting opportunity for me. I feel very lucky that I have been able to stay in the same school for my tenure in Prince George's County. My institutional memory has been of great benefit to me moving through the ranks. My team is comfortable with my skill set and knows my strengths and weaknesses. However, getting around to see how other leaders lead is important to my growth as an Assistant Principal.
I agree with my fellow colleagues in that the video was very informative about PGCPS Principal Pipeline. To learn about the 4 components: Defining Leadership, High Quality Pre-service training, Selective Hiring and On the Job Training, I had a better understanding of what the program entails and targets as it develops strong and effective school leaders.
ReplyDeleteSince PG is responsible for developing our 8 leadership standards and has such a focused intent on building the capacity of the Assistant Principals, the clarification on the different programs ( APLA, APIP, ALPSS) and how they differentiate according the experience and needs of the AP was informative. Being in the APIP cohort has provided me with so much opportunity to learn, understand, and implement our Leadership standards as well as network with other fellow AP's.
This video provided clarity on the efforts of Prince Georges County Public Schools to build leadership capacity of assistant principals and prepare them for principalship. It is clear that a lot of work has been done to refine the pipeline, namely formulating PGCPS leadership standards based on national and state standards to guide leadership practice, increasing the quality of pre-service training, selective hiring, and job training and evaluation. To increase the quality of pre-service training, The differentiated approach to building leadership capacity in assistant principals is evident in the various programs that meet leaders at their developmental levels. The programs include ALPA, APIP, and ALPSS. The APIP program in which I am currently enrolled is evident of the refinement talked about in the video. Specifically, the program allows for the opportunity to collaborate with other assistant principals, mentoring and coaching by the Leadership Development Teams, review of research to guide practice, and various other opportunities to observe best leadership practices, and develop presentation skills.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to hear about the various programs that PGCPS offers to develop and enhance leadership. There are programs to develop leadership at all levels of experience. The county also has a strategic plan for selecting and developing Assistant Principals and Principals. It was good hearing from Assistant Principals who had gone through the ALPSS program and how they felt the experience has prepared them to become principals.
ReplyDeleteTwo things that stood out to me was when they talked about informal training and when Dr. Campbell mentioned focusing on the soft skills. I would like to have heard more about those things.
Prior to coming to Prince George's County Public Schools I was an Assistant Principal in another Maryland district. One thing that I can truly appreciate is how purposeful the county is being as it pertains to preparing Assistant Principals to assume the role of Principal. In other districts the Assistant Principal's development is dependent on their Principal's ability or willingness to mentor them. I also noticed in my former district that the role of Assistant Principal was not clearly defined and often they were given assigned tasks arbitrarily. Many districts also do not offer professional development or systemic monthly meetings.
ReplyDeleteI purposely sought out Prince George's County because I did not want to take on the responsibility of being a Principal without being prepared. When research potential districts I noted that PGCPS is one of the only counties in the state that provides support to Assistant Principals. I am grateful to be a part of such a program and I am glad that the county is investing in its people.
First let me begin by saying, "I never knew that National Assistant Principal week existed". I have to circle the week on my calendar. It's nice to know that there is a time set aside to recognize that hardwork that Assistant Principals do within our schools.
ReplyDeleteThis video is very enlightening. It highlights the work that Prince George's County Public Schools District is doing to build and strengthen the leadership capacity of Assistant Principals. I'm glad that the District realizes that it is necessary to develop your own leaders (and not just informally). Like Katrina Lamont (AP from Ernest E. Just), much of my leadship skills were developed as a teacher leader. However, my first formal training came from an organization that used to contract with the district to develop it's leaders (New Leaders Program); I participated in the Emerging Leaders program. I knew that the county had teacher leader programs, but I wasn't clear on how to access them. Needlesstosay, I'm glad now, as an AP, I don't have to seek out training programs. The county (as outlined in this video) is doing a great job training from within through multiple outlets. I've spoken to many (current and former APs) who say that the training opportunities that new APs have are amazing; and this training is not limited to new Assistant Principals. The district is ensuring that the needs of all APs are being met.
I am appreciative of the additional information that was provided to me regarding the Wallace Foundation and the programs that PGCPS has organized to assist leadership development in the county. The Assistant Principal role has begun to shift with regards to the role now being clearly defined. The county was able to develop leadership standards, provide on the job training, and selectively hire individuals for available leadership positions within the county. There is definitely more intentional development of the Assistant Principal position.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the county has done an excellent job of organizing around the leadership positions by connecting the Strategic Plan and the Framework. This helps to align our work and provides consistency with developing the position of the Assistant Principal. The Strategic Plan also helps to align the job description with a Leadership Standard and is related to professional development. The day to day support includes informal training, teacher leader support and mentoring within the county.
I am also appreciate of the new programs that have been developed to train new teacher leaders. I believe that they are helping to provide the training that has previously been missing here in PGCPS.
Hearing from other Assistant Principals about the work we do and how the district is supporting our professional growth is wonderful. We work so hard as a school district and much gets overshadowed by all that it takes to be productive, let alone successful.
ReplyDeleteI believe the opportunities and supports now provide a concrete platform and a unified structure for our district leaders. There is a clearly defined set of standards and expectations around the role of Assistant Principal. This, I believe, provides a greater leadership capacity for persons who plan to or will transition into the next level of leadership. The exposure provides the authentic experience that allows us to function as a team and work collaboratively around the goals set within our district and specifically at the school level.
I truly understand the purpose of APIP. Collaborating with colleagues, staying current with educational issues/trends, reflecting on our practices and developing skills that helps me communicate effectively for student achievement will help us become better leaders.
ReplyDeleteThe focus of the video was to connect how PGCPS through the Wallace Grant help and support assistant principals' with their roles and prepare them for their journey which is principalship. The journey is lead by four components: defining leadership. high quality training, selective hiring and on the job training and evaluation.
I enjoyed the video and it was a relief to hear how the county is supporting the assistant principals. After watching the video, shadowing other instructional leaders, reflecting and sharing with colleagues and staying current with educational trends has made a huge impact on my development as assistant principal. I am entering my second year as an assistant principal, I am looking forward to how I mature and grow in this capacity.
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ReplyDeleteThe video was informative and interesting. I appreciate that the information was applicable to our daily process. The principal pipeline has four major components that are discussed: 1.) Defining leadership, 2.) High quality pre-service training, 3.) Selective hiring, and 4.) On the job training and evaluation. The eight leadership standards that were developed align with performance criteria and expectations, ISLLC standards, and tools used to measure effectiveness in the county. These standards are the core that connects the four major components in ensuring an effective principal pipeline. This step is essential in ensuring that aspiring leaders receive training to be successful but that the training is specific to district needs.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that assistant principals are needed and a necessary part of the schools infrastructure. I am becoming increasingly interested in becoming a principal once I have tried my hand in this arena for a few more years.
This was a good video to learn about the history behind the leadership development programs. Discovering this gives perspective about the intent of these programs and the leadership Prince George's County Public Schools is working so hard to develop. I appreciate the growth that I have acquired through the multitude of training which I have received and the growth that I anticipate to come! I believe that aligning the standards with the county initiatives and my work on a school-based level is integral in helping it all to "make sense." I was interested to hear the presentations and appreciated the information.
ReplyDeleteThis video affirms Prince George's County Public Schools commitment to developing highly effective Principals in the 21st century. The four major components to the Wallace Principal pipeline: 1.) Defining leadership, 2.) High quality pre-service training, 3.) Selective hiring, and 4.) On the job training and evaluation, serve as the backbone for this ongoing dialogue. The panel discussing going beyond instructional leadership into the realm of managing adults was a point that resonated with me. As critical as it is to be engulfed in instruction, building relationships and organizing for collaborative work are equally important when it comes to being a highly effective Assistant Principal.
ReplyDeleteThe paradigm shift with respect to professional development has been crucial as well. Professional development initiatives have now been streamlined to include Principals AND Assistant Principals, which informs instructional conversations held at the school level. It is this intentional approach to cultivating leaders that will ultimately translate into students who are college and career ready.
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ReplyDeleteI appreciate the efforts of Prince George's County Public schools to develop leaders from within the district. While both assistant principals shared their leadership preparation experience as a more formal training, my personal training has primarily been within central office and at the school level. Central office and school level training is truly helpful for day to day operations. However, programs such as ALPS and APIP provide an opportunity for assistant principals to communicate with colleagues and provide a platform for collaborative work.
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ReplyDeletePrior to acquiring a leadership role in Prince George's county I often wondered about how much support was provided for leaders growth and development. I knew first-hand what professional learning opportunities were available for teachers but I wondered what would be available at the next level. This video provided information regarding the many opportunities available to new leaders who aspire towards a principalship in the district.
ReplyDeleteWalking into my sixteenth year in education, I participated in the former program mentioned (i.e. Pre-leadership Program) and am actively engaged in the APIP2. In my experience with networking and collaborating with other assistant principals, not many leaders have expressed the amount of intentional support efforts that I have received in PG county public schools. After the video, I look forward to the opportunity to consistently engage in dialogue with colleagues across the county as I aspire to be a Principal in the future.
What better way to cultivate a strong sense of leadership around standards, high quality training, being selective in the hiring process, and provide on-the-job training within the school district through a professional pipeline! Since assistant principals received their graduate level training at various colleges and universities across the country, developing training programs within the school district that caters to the systemic initiatives with targeted professional development around our coherence framework is not only ideal but genius. As well, the Leadership Development Coaches are able to monitor and evaluate a candidates progress as an aspiring leader and offer feedback on how you can leverage his/her strengths in the role.
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